April 11 2007 at 00:15:53 Name: Wilhelm Murg Topic: Catching up in Pop Culture Email: wilhelmurg at yahoo dot
com Comments: There are actually DVDs, both alone and as box sets,
which offer hours of old commercials. They're usually rather cheap, not only
in price, but in quality too -- many look like they are taken of bootleg
VHS tapes from the 1980s. The problem is that since they are apparently in
public domain, there's no one company doing quality control. I saw one that
had about twenty Mrs. Olsen/Folger Coffee commercials in a row, followed
by about a hundred "Daddy, Daddy! I only have one cavity!" Crest commercials
("Amazing Mr. President, how do you do it?")
I recently bought the
"Flashback
Edition" of "Dazed and Confused" and for some reason they have a beautifully
restored copy of the musical public service announcement "V.D. is for Everybody,"
which was sung in an old Broadway style as they showed a montage of people
from all walks of life (I was always in love with the girl putting on lipstick).
Unfortunately, I've never found the commercials I've been looking for, such
as the faux-Peter Max psychedelic 7up commercials (I believe there was also
a faux-Peter Max Datsun or VW campaign too, with Van Dyke Parks' music) or
the Ken Nordine's Levis commercials (I found one on the web at
Mog.com/music/Ken_Nordine) .
I even remember a psychedelic Ice Capades commercial, but that was the year
the skaters went on strike just as the Tulsa State Fair was starting.
Here's one of those Max-inspired 7Up ads:
As for the comedy records, I'm just old enough to have a Laff Label Redd
Foxx/Richard Pryor album, and it was starting to get fairly rough at that
point, especially the liner notes on the back cover, which was a dialogue
between Foxx and Pryor while they were in a four-way sex act. I grew up in
the Cheech & Chong/George Carlin/Richard Pryor/Steve Martin/National
Lampoon period, where the whole concept was that you couldn't play the records
on the radio. I try to explain to the youngsters that this was the best we
had before videotape was mass marketed, back when TV was off the air by 1
AM (unless there was a storm warning). No one ever mentions Gene Tracy, who
did nasty "Hustler"-styled jokes at truckstops in front of a room of truckers.
He was about as politically incorrect as they came, as he liked to use a
harelipped character in a lot of his stories.
Speaking of late night television, we've been having a good time laughing
at
"The
Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder: Punk & New Wave" set. I had forgotten
how dense Tom was! The highlight, of course, is the battle with John Lydon
(aka Johnny Rotten) of Public Image Ltd.who decided to push as many of Tom's
buttons as possible ("It's not a band, it's a company!") Snyder talks like
it was horrible television at the end of the show; little did he realize
it would be one of his all-time classics. Wendy O. Williams fronts The Plasmatics
as they blow up a car on stage with four sticks of dynamite. At one point
Tom asks her if she should tone down her act to get a wider audience -- of
course she's probably better remembered than Tom at this point. The main
point he stresses in each interview is that the punks could turn into the
establishment, and all of the punks are all for becoming the establishment,
but Tom just doesn't get it. Of course, half of the guests on the discs are
now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaking of intense television, Don Imus is worth TiVoing this week. After
his unforgivable remarks about the Rutgers Women's Basketball team -- where
he insulted not only their race, but also their sex and character in one
blow -- it was announced that he will be suspended for two weeks, beginning
Monday. So this week he's a lame duck host obsessing over the incident. If
management had any sympathy for him, they would have taken him off this week.
I saw him this morning and he seems to be digging himself in deeper, especially
when you factor in that he's on for three hours every day (!) to babble.
Imus is not going down without a fight, and there's a very good chance this
will end his career, at least on a national level.
By the way, I just posted an ode to the new Throbbing Gristle album, and
a review of Grindhouse. You can view them on MySpace at
MySpace.com/WilhelMurg or on
the web at NONzine.com.
Also, cheers to Tuffy. I was on Mr. Zing and Tuffy when I was in kindergarten
and some of my classmates recognized me -- it was an early brush with
fame.
April 10 2007 at 19:36:16 Name: Rick Brashear Topic: Tubes Email: Behind the Ranch Market Comments: One place that still makes tubes that work is Russia.
The replacement tubes for use in Fender amps and some of the others come
out of Russia. The Chinese make some too, but they're crap.
April 10 2007 at 18:42:20 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: Tube Testers Comments: All Walgreen's Stores in Chicago had them but
often did not keep up on tube stock!
Back in the tube days - my Dad was known as the the expert - he had restored
many b&w tube sets to working. He said that often tubes failed early
- maybe quality control was not so great.
April 10 2007 at 07:38:59 Name: Mitch Gray Topic: More Convenience Email: North of You Comments: Remember those radio and TV vacuum tube testers
found at the In-N-Out, or the U-Totem?
Remember being able to PURCHASE those tubes at a convenience store?
One of those testers ought to be placed in a time capsule. (Just in case)
There is a bit of verbiage about them, plus a photo in
GB 98. Here's another,
larger
photo.
April 09 2007 at 23:18:02 Name: Lloyd in the bunker under the Rose Bowl Topic: Convenience
Comments: Just put
"Bullitt"
on Pause to write.
Love the scene where McQueen walks into the mom-and-pop convenience store
in San Francisco and scores, in a marvelous stacking maneuver, six TV Dinners.
The place is tiny, and every shelf is crammed with tins of goodies.
So were the original, and truly, convenience stores in Tulsa: neighborhood
places with a plethora of products.
Speaking of "Bullitt", check out the
Bullitt Nationals web site.
This is a group of enthusiasts who celebrate the movie, Steve McQueen, and
the Ford Mustang Bullitt limited edition car. They are meeting in Tulsa mid-June.
"Bullitt" will be the second feature at the Admiral Twin Drive-In on June
14 (the '57 Plymouth time capsule is to be opened the next day).
Last
year, "Bullittheads" met in San Francisco, the locale for the movie.
There may also be a Tulsa showing of a new documentary, "An American Rebel:
Steve McQueen", in association with this meet. More when available.
There was an episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" starring McQueen and
Peter Lorre that featured a wager involving a car and a cigarette lighter.
If you ever saw it, you won't have forgotten it. Excellent acting by both
gentlemen. (This Season 5 episode is not yet available on DVD.) I won't put
any spoilers here, but it was based on a macabre story,
"Man From The
South", by Roald Dahl.
April 09 2007 at 14:31:45 Name: David Batterson Topic: Hit songs Email:
davidabt(at)yahoo(dot)com Comments: Wow, how time flies! Was it really 35 years ago
that Leon Russell knocked our socks off with his
"Carney"
album?
April 07 2007 at 16:27:10 Name: Webmaster Topic: KAKC 1967 Big 30 Survey
Comments: Rick Brashear just sent this:
April 07 2007 at 13:16:18 Name: Gary Chew Topic: Gailard Sartain Email: Just SW of the Donner Party
Family Grill Comments: Yo:
A Sacramento friend of mine who covered the California Capital for many years
for the public radio stations I worked for here heard an interesting mention
of a famous Tulsan last night on a network radio show. Here's my friend's
email to me this morning....
"I was listening tonight to "Coast to Coast" talk show on 1530 am; interview
with J.P. Richardson's son who is now doing a Big Bopper nostalgia act. Host
George Noory mentioned Gailard Sartain who played the Big Bopper in the Buddy
Holly Story movie back in 1978."
April 07 2007 at 12:51:08 Name: Rick Brashear Topic: Uncola glasses. Email: Just below the tree line. Comments: I have half-a-dozen Uncola glasses gathering spiders
in a cabinet. I drove a 1969 Dart in high school that had a custom made (by
me) console. I drank coffee like a madman back then. Come to think of it,
I still do.
Anyway, the Uncola glasses always set solid on the flat, wooden top, never
turning over or spilling. I set one on the left rear fender one time and
forgot about it after being side-tracked. I drove three blocks away, making
four turns, and it was still in the same spot after I arrived at a friends
house! It didn't spill a drop. Perhaps NASA should study the Uncola glass
as a replacement for the Shuttle.
April 06 2007 at 17:27:02 Name: Webmaster Topic: Uncola commercials/"Like father, like
son" PSA
Comments: Now on YouTube: the
original Uncola man commercial circa 1971. As my audio tapes confirm, this
one was played during the Mazeppa show a lot. The Uncola man, Geoffrey Holder,
also played a villain in the 007 movie, "Live and Let Die". What a voice
and what style. I see how "Miss Cleo" could have been
inspired. He reprised the character in the 80s.
Also, I found the "Like father, like son" anti-smoking public service
announcement (PSA) from the 60s. Nice jazz tune backing it.
The Uncola man
Like father, like son? Think about it.
April 06 2007 at 16:32:58 Name: P. Casey Morgan Topic: The peanut butter man Email:
p-casey-morganatutulsadotedu Comments: I certainly could have dreamed this, but I seem
to remember Rob Walker telling me he used the middle initial "W" for his
air name in tribute to Robert W. Morgan, a NY disc jockey of the time.
Probably so; I was just speculating. I suppose it could be both...maybe
you could pose that one to Mr. Walker next time you see him.
April 06 2007 at 15:10:56 Name:
Lee Woodward Topic: More Tulsa Movie Stars Email: 12th Fairway at BGAC Comments: The morning
Tulsa
World story about Tulsa's Jennifer Jones revealed that she met her first
husband, Robert Walker, in Tulsa, where he was working in radio? I was never
aware of that. It also said that when they couldn't break into Hollywood
on their first try, they went back East where Robert supported them by working
in radio.
It also stated that Jennifer lives in Malibu close to her son, Robert, Jr.
She would be about 88 years old now. Way younger than Granny (142).
Notable credits of Robert
Walker, Jr. include the title roles in "Charlie X" on the original "Star
Trek" series, and a sequel to "Mister Roberts", "Ensign Pulver" (1964).
The latter movie was panned by the critics, according to the linked IMDb
bio, but I remember enjoying it a lot at the drive-in here
in Tulsa.
April 05 2007 at 21:29:22 Name: Deana Topic: Jack Frank Email: singing5570 at yahoo.com Comments: What happened to Jack Frank???? He is a great narrator!!
Jack Frank recently produced a new DVD of historic Tulsa films, and it
is really good. I don't say that just because it includes my own 1974 home
movie of George Harrison in Tulsa. You can order
the DVD at TulsaFilms.com.
April 05 2007 at 17:01:42 Name: Wilhelm Murg Topic: The Holidaze Email: Wilhelmurg at yahoo dot
com Comments: My friend, Andrew Hicks, has been slightly depressed
because his family ran the Tulsa Easter Pageant for the last decade that
it took place in Chandler Park, and he misses it. His father, Tommy Hicks,
directed and played Jesus and Andrew usually played The Devil. The final
performance was two years ago, shortly after his mother, Peggy Hicks, passed
away, and it was dedicated to her memory.
Andrew and I were talking about how every holiday, regardless of whether
it's secular or religious, usually comes with a party and drink specials
at the bars in the Downtown, Cherry Street, Brady District, and Boston areas.
So this year Andrew is having his "Jesus Christ Superstar" party, where everyone
comes to our house to watch the movie, then it's off to the bars with Andrew
dressed as Jesus. I guess "Rusty Nails" are the drink of the night.
The Easter Pageant isn't dead, it's cocooned for a couple of years is now
about to become a beautiful butterfly.
April 05 2007 at 11:47:56 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: Bob Clark - movie director
Comments: Who directed the "Porky's" movies and also the much-beloved
"A Christmas Story" was killed in L.A. today in a head-on car wreck. His
son also perished in the crash when hit by another driver. Clark also directed
"Rhinestone", that movie with Stallone and Dolly Parton.
"A Christmas Story" is still one of my faves along with Jimmy Stewart's Xmas
perennial.
April 05 2007 at 10:40:00 Name: Joe Topic: Tuffy...and Mr. Zing Comments: Yo Tufffy...Joe Bone givin' you a shout out.
It was nice to see the recent 8 interview. Too bad you couldn't get a word
in edge-wise. The Mr. Zing and Tuffy footage is fantastic too. Hope all is
well.
April 04 2007 at 22:06:03 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: Easter memories
Comments: It seems such a Midwestern 1950s thang. Did your Mom
make or buy a lamb or bunny cake at Easter for the family when you were kids?
I think we used to buy them from the long-gone local Swedish bakery. Then
Mom found a recipe in that all-time family tome, Family Circle. Jelly beans
for eyes, coconut vanilla icing on a white or lemon molded cake. I think
the only difference between the lamb and rabbit was that Mom cut out ears
to stick on the rabbit!
We also bought the mag because Dad often did color separation ad layouts
in it. For years, he set up the color plates on "Ellsworth the Elephant"
series.
Does ANYONE in Tulsey still shut down for "Good Friday closing"?
Oh yeah...Mr. Ransom: please link famous Easter TV news faux pas to my posting!
It's that time again!
Your mention of a TV Easter joke is about 1/3 down GB
104, which is chock-full of past Tulsa Easter Pageant lore from Jim Hartz,
Frank Morrow, Jim Ruddle and yourself.
April 04 2007 at 14:09:11 Name: Webmaster Topic: In the media
Comments: Ron Enderland, former Miami, Oklahoma resident and
creator of the excellent nostalgic blog, I
Remember JFK, has another blog,
FamilyFirst.com, on which he reviews
family-friendly sites.
He profiled Tulsa
TV Memories two days ago (we have some not-so-family-oriented content
here, such as the ongoing Brother Dave thread, but Ron says his readers tire
of Care Bear-type sites).
Today, he features
WeirdWard.net, created by Dana LeMoine (a TTM contributor) and his sisters
to celebrate Tulsa East Central high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Pat
Ward.
Also in the spotlight today is friend and fellow Ward alumnus, Lloyd Wallisch.
He's mentioned in the WeirdWard write-up AND seen on the front page of the
Tulsa World Scene section, where he gives out the
Senate
Bean Soup recipe he acquired from Sen. Henry Bellmon. Later in the World
article, My Pi pizza is mentioned (My Pi was recently discussed at length
here in GB 234).
When Lloyd visits TTM, he bills himself as residing "in the bunker under
the Rose Bowl".
Former Gov. and Sen. Bellmon with Mike Miller
in the 1960s
"Pssst...may I have the Senate Bean Soup recipe as well?"
17 April 04 2007 at 00:39:11 Name: Jeff H Topic: Miss Cleo and Dionne Warwick Email: Den 23 Pack 79 Comments: Have you ever wondered why "Miss Cleo" and Ms. Warwick
(Psychic Friends Network) never saw the authorities closing in to shut them
down since they were PSYCHIC!!!!
P.S. Whoever mentioned that some of the comics talked about in previous post
were real storytellers was right on! One of the last great ones I can think
of is Richard Pryor. He could paint a real word picture.
April 03 2007 at 20:07:49 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: Tuffy
Comments: We all love him - he's a hoot but sometimes after his
last return to 8 as an employee (before his retirement, don't think folks
ever appreciated his role in Tulsa TV history then. Glad he is getting his
"due" now; he always was fun to work with when I was a newbie at KTUL and
has a great mind.
I keep wondering if Jody McIntyre at 8 was the same Jody that I worked with
in OKC at KOCO 25 years ago. She was a night-time associate producer and
a Tulsan.
April 03 2007 at 18:58:05 Name: Downtown kid Topic: Brother Dave Gardner
Comments: Around 1966 or '67, I was living in McCloud, OK. A friend
claimed he knew Brother Dave (his sister was having an affair with him).
Well, he was playing the Brady and sure enough, we got in for free.
During the show, he kept repeating something about if you only knew what
was going on in my head. After the show he got my buddy and me a room at
the Mayo and turned us on to a hit of acid. Seems that was what he was referring
to.
He was really interesting off-stage and ranted about Oral Roberts for about
an hour. Hell of a drummer, too.
April 03 2007 at 16:23:51 Name: Brian Topic: Rubberband man Email: brian74055 at hotmail.com Comments: The rubberband man was
Paul
Pressey.
April 03 2007 at 14:35:05 Name: Charles Topic: Rubber Band
Man Comments: Here is a basketball/television question to finish
off NCAA tourney week. In the 70s either TU or ORU had a basketball player
that got a lot of press. One of the local TV affiliates ran a story about
him and played the song, "Rubber Band Man". I think that might have even
been his nickname. Does anyone remember his name and what became of him?
Also, for those of you in Tulsa, my current employer, North Dakota State
University, has joined ORU's conference. So watch for the Bison when they
come to town!
April 03 2007 at 10:10:05 Name: Lowell Burch Topic: Tuffy Email: Please (but no spam for reptile
dysfunction) Comments: I think I still have the World article about the
1966 Christmas parade. It mentions Mr. Zing and Tuffy and how the parade
almost came to a stop because the kids ran out into the street to mob the
popular duo. I remember this well because, as a member of the McLain Scots
Marching Band, I was following right behind them. The article mentions how
our unit had to close ranks and weave through the hoards of children crowding
the street to stay up with the rest of the parade.
By the way, that was back when, system-wide, Tulsa Public Schools had a killer
music program. Every Tulsa high school fielded a powerful marching band -
such as the Hale 100, directed by Clarence Lawless, which actually boasted
135+ members!
PS, I still keep in touch with my old band director, Dave Edris. For those
who know him, he just retired from his position as one of the music professors
at Peru College, Nebraska.
April 03 2007 at 06:26:44 Name: Jeff Topic:
Radio Comments: On Sundays, Kool 106 plays old programs of American
Top 40 with Casey Kasem from the 1970s. It runs from 9:00 am until 12:00.
This past Sunday they play the week of April 9, 1978. It was great hearing
his comments then about the songs, and knowing where they went to.
Also, does anyone know how DJ Jan Dean is doing, she's one of my favorite
disc jockeys and I just heard today she has cancer.
April 03 2007 at 04:43:32 Name: Jim Reid Topic: Color Mr. Zing
Footage Comments: I wonder where Tuffy got the color footage of Mr.
Zing and Tuffy? When I knew Tom Ledbetter at the old City-County TV Station,
he had a 2000 ft. reel of 16mm Zing & Tuffy footage he ran for us once.
I wonder if this is the same film? The transfer looks beautiful.
Seems like I've driven that highway one too many times.
April 02 2007 at 19:54:24 Name: Webmaster Topic: Tuffy
interview Comments: Wayne "Tuffy" Johnson on KTUL's "Good Day Tulsa",
3/22/2007. Tuffy remembers working on the show with John Chick and Tom Ledbetter.
Color footage of the show is seen during this interview with D.C. Roberts.
DVD courtesy of Jody McIntyre, executive producer. This clip will be added
to the Zing & Tuffy page, too.
April 02 2007 at 15:30:57 Name: Mike Bruchas Topic: WGN
changes Comments: Real estate mogul Sam Zell bought the Tribune Company
in Chi-town but someone else may buy the Cubs. If you remember the funny
short-lived series, "The Loop", about a fictional Chicago airlines, the boss
charactor was an amalgam of motorcycle-riding wildman Sam Zell and Herb Kelleher
of Southwest Airlines.
April 02 2007 at 11:23:12 Name: David Batterson Topic: Top 50 Email:
davidbat(at)yahoo(dot)com Comments: I see that Tulsa's own Anita Bryant had the #26
spot, with "Till There Was You."
April 02 2007 at 04:41:55 Name: Webmaster Topic: 1959 KAKC Top 50 survey/1959 Downtown
Tulsa Comments: Quintessential
tiki tune, Martin Denny's version of "Quiet
Village", is up there at #6. Contributor
Frank
Morrow's first fan letter at KAKC, dated 4/1/1952, was a request for
composer Les Baxter's version, which (we believe) was the first
Fantastic Theater theme.
More than a few classic tunes in diverse musical styles.
Tulsa, 1959
April 01 2007 at 01:16:08 Name: roy lee Topic: Brother Dave Gardner Email: beerdrunk@cox.net Comments: The funniest thing about those old Brother Dave
Gardner records is that he's badmouthing John F. Kennedy so much. It was
probably hilarious at the time, like that
Vaughn
Meader record. My parents were big Kennedy fans but had enjoyed those
those records quite a bit. My favorite Brother Dave remark was something
about "I'm a preacher, but I'm preachin' FOR IT!" A great combination of
hepcat and redneck by today's standards, I guess.
March 31 2007 at 22:37:57 Name: Rick Brashear Topic: Party
Records Comments: I have two
Doug
Clark And The Hot Nuts records. They were a lot funnier when I was a
kid but I still remember some of the limerick tunes and a few of the jokes.
There is one tune, "Big Jugs", sung to the tune of "Big John".
I heard one of this frat party group's records in the late 60s and it
was as subtle as a Tom
LoChiatto sales pitch. Speaking of pitchpersons, I'm sure you remember Miss Cleo, the "Jamaican"
telepsychic.
I mentioned her and Tom in a list of frequently-seen commercials 6 years
ago in GB 78. The Ridiculous
Infomercial Review speculates about Cleo, aka Youree Harris, L.A.
native:
So just how did "Miss Cleo" pick-up her accent? One clue might have come
when a caller laughed and Miss Cleo commented, "Dat's an Uncola laugh." Huh?
The reference is to an old series of soda commercials featuring Geoffrey
Holder, a Caribbean actor with a trademark sonorous laugh. Why would Miss
Cleo make such an arcane reference? I strongly suspect that it was from watching
those 7UP commercials back in the 1980s that Youree Dell Harris first learned
her "accent."
The original Uncola commercial ran in the early 70s, not in the 80s. Still,
she would have been about 9 or 10 years old then
(Wikipedia). (4/7: there
was an 80s version; watch both on YouTube toward the top of this page.)
The audio of the Geoffrey Holder Uncola commercial, dubbed from one of
my 1971 reel-to-reel tapes, is on the 2nd Mazeppa
page.
March 31 2007 at 19:24:23 Name: John Hilllis Topic: "Party
Records" Comments: Those "blue" comedy records would be played in the
Family Hour now! Besides
Redd
Foxx and
"Moms"
Mabley, there was the already-mentioned "Brother" Dave Gardner, who did
a million appearances on the Jack Paar Tonight Show, with his country-fried
existentialist standup schtick. If that sounds puzzling, run down the CDs,
get one, and listen. I have a Collectors Choice reissue of the (as Gardner
would say) the Arrrrah Cee Ayy Victor albums
"Rejoice,
Dear Hearts," and "Kick Thy Own Self".
It's interesting to think about how much time all these comics spent on
stories...building to the punchlines. These days, a live audience wouldn't
sit still for it.
Retailers would keep these records under the counter or way off in the corner
of the bins, and they tended to have plain-wrapper type covers. As I said,
the most risque of Foxx's schtick wouldn't budge the Howard Stern taste meter
one notch.
"Moms" was a frequent guest on "The Mike Douglas Show" in the 60s.
March 31 2007 at 12:43:23 Name: Webmaster Topic: Previous GroupBlog
summary Comments: Archived GroupBlog
237.
Topics included mayhem involving "Queen of the Bootleggers" Cleo Epps,
Tom Lester Pugh, Albert McDonald, Rex Brinlee and Judge Nelson's car. Mike
Miller's comments were linked; he covered these stories as a reporter in
the 1960s.
We heard about Lee Woodward's "acting thing". Jim Hartz told us about
Jim Rogers, Will's son.
Linda Soundtrak's son was named "Sluggo" (on-camera, at least). Actors
from Tulsa were discussed, including Joe Bratcher and Billy Benedict. Rude
party records were mentioned.
A corpse is a corpse, of course, of course...that is, of course, unless
the corpse is the famous Mister Ed: is he actually buried in Tahlequah, and
did John Erling have anything to do with it?
GroupBlog 237 also came to an end, but we continue
here.
Lee Woodward
