One Youtube leads to another, and I keep getting sucked deeper into the vortex.
Paul Revere and the Raiders are notable for their inability to settle on a style. The music is trying to be a white-boy version of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels or something, but the boys' faces, costumes, and antics are more Partridge Family.
Another pop music show where the band doesn't actually play their instruments. The Five Americans - there was no irony in such a name then - singing Western Union. Notice the cool background vocals that sound like a telegraph - I mean, is that genius or what? As for the dancing girls Sure I can get you on TV baby. Now let's see what you look like in a bikini, okay?
A psychedelic wannabe band - The Lemon Pipers - has a trip that goes bad. It gets even stranger about halfway the way through, when they seriously attack the bear.
I remember reading that the CIA used this song as a psy-ops against Manuel Noriega, playing it constantly for days in an effort to get him to surrender. If they'd showed him the choreography as well, they could have done it in half the time.
So much to say, so little time. Paul Revere so badly wanted to rival the British invasion bands. At first, I thought they were the Dave Clark 5 without the British accents. I recall they were a staple on afternoon network television when beach shows were big.
ReplyDeleteThe Five Americans (I would not have recalled the name) were "bubblegum" and a one hit wonder. But the bikinis were a big item, again on those afternoon network shows and in the teen dance movies of the time. They were rather provocative at the time but seem tame by today's standards.
The Lemon Pipers video is just plain weird. Another one hit wonder band who made a few bucks with that hit and faded into psychedelic oblivion. What was it about that bear that prompted that abuse? There is probably an organization today that would protest such a thing.
And Nancy Sinatra. No one would have ever bought a record if her name wasn't Sinatra. As for the choreography, boots and bikinis would have been a better combo. Of the four, thought, at least Nancy didn't lip-sync. Then, there could be the vote for which singer of that song had less talent - Nancy or Jessica?
Thanks for the stroll through the 60's.