Redartz: Welcome; time again for a trip back to that evocative era we call the Bronze age. For this episode, we aim our sights at the early Bronze, the heady days of Spring, 1971! If we only look at the headlines, we might be a bit troubled; serious times indeed: the war in Vietnam continues with heavy bombing of Laos and Cambodia, and the Charles Manson trial continues. Overseas, the UK has recently changed from the Pound to the decimal system.
Nevertheless, as Bronze Age- type babies ( apologies and a hat tip to Doug and Karen), we look with interest to the pop cultural goings-on. Your host, 10 years old at this date, is starting to enjoy hearing pop music on the school bus radio. Commonly heard lately, and on top of the US Billboard Chart:
Janis Joplin, "Me and Bobby McGee"
This week the Osmonds fall out of the top spot, giving Janis a posthumous number one single.
Rounding out the top five:
2. Tom Jones, "She's A Lady"
3. The Temptations, "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me}"
4. The Osmonds, "One Bad Apple"
5. The Carpenters, "For All We Know"
Also on the radio playlists currently are some other noteworthy tunes: Partridge Family, "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted"- I'm an avid viewer of the show, and like their music too. My parents apparently approve, having given me their latest album as a gift! Marvin Gaye, "What's Going On- just a great song, with a great message. Santana, "Oye Como Va"-so catchy, I find myself dialing up and down the radio trying to find a station playing it. Lynn Anderson, "Rose Garden"- remarkably catchy. 5th. Dimension, "Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes"- I've liked the Dimension since hearing "Aquarius" a couple years previously. Marilyn McCoo has a truly phenomenal voice (even though 10-year-old me doesn't know who she is), and it's in fine form on this song. Love the imagery...
On top in the UK:
T Rex, "Hot Love"
And as we traditionally do, let's have a look at tonight's tv programming...
US Television Schedule:
ABC: Let's Make a Deal, The Newlywed Game, It Was a Very Good Year, The ABC Monday Night Movie
The game shows are one of the programs my parents allow me to watch; and both of these are seen at our house often. I suspect some of the humor on "Newlywed Game" goes over my head. Catchy theme music...
CBS: Gunsmoke, Here's Lucy, Mayberry R.F.D., The Doris Day Show, The Carol Burnett Show
Lucy, Mayberry and Doris are usually what our parents are watching. They don't care for the competition on NBC:
NBC: From a Bird's Eye View, Rowan &Martin's Laugh In, NBC Monday Night at the Movies
When the parents are away, our sitter lets us watch "Laugh-In". I love the show, but don't get to see it every week. Loaded with color, zaniness and topical humor, the show is unlike anything else I've seen. I particularly like Arte Johnson's "Verrrrrrry Interesting" German!
BBC1: Z Cars: 400th. Edition, Oh Brother!, Panorama, Doomwatch, Come Dancing, 24 Hours
BBC2: Crime & the Criminal, Newsroom, Lancer, Gentry, Horizon What Kind of Doctor?, Thirty Minute Theatre: No Charge for the Extra Service, Four With Betjamin Victorian Architects and Architecture
Of course, no trip aboard the Retro Metro would be complete without a field trip to the spinner racks. Our local drug store has a couple of them, and they are always full. Today we find these, among many others:
1971 found me buying mostly Archies, and "TV Laugh-Out" was a favorite: it had Sabrina! And I'd pick up some Charlton television comics, such as that "Partridge Family" book. Although I do recall noticing Jack Kirby's DC work, such as that Mr. Miracle issue. And a few years down the road, many of these comics would hold much more appeal to this reader. For instance, that classic Amazing Spider-Man issue; not code approved- Stan tackled the drug issue. Incidentally, it seems Neal Adams was everywhere at DC in '71. His covers were as common as Gil Kane's became at Marvel. And every one is a beauty.
Well, that's about it for this date in 1971 (besides, I have a 9:00 bedtime- better get back on the bus before my parents catch us). Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for the next Retro, coming up soon!
14 comments:
"Sock it to me" Red! LOVE IT!
OK - Is anyone able to explain why, a child suddenly starts remembering and doing things? In May 1971 I am 9 and have deep memories of nearly EVERYTHING Red has written about, except the BBC. In July I will be 10. SUDDENLY I will start buying comics like 6 a month starting at Avengers 91 and ASM 100 (whatever I can get for $1 ish as these are still $1.5 each.) What' happening?
I mean, I remember so much of this I can't even begin to comment.
Yup. Heck I was ...counting on fingers..20 then and still digging all those media, but especially the comics. Yeah as crazy as the times were things were better back then.
Red, the UK continued using the pound-sterling but the old Imperial system (240 pennies in a pound) was replaced by the decimal system, 100 pennies in a pound. This was done to prepare for our entry into the EEC (European Economic Community, now called the European Union) which we joined on January 1st 1973. The official switchover to decimal took place on "D-Day" (Decimal Day) on February 15th 1971, two days before my 5th birthday, but the government had been issuing decimal coins since 1968 in preparation for the change. I've got a half-penny dated 1967, the final year that Imperial coins were minted.
Of course, in 2016 the UK voted to leave the European Union (by 52% to 48%) but even the most loony Brexit supporters don't want to return to the Imperial coinage!
Z Cars on BBC 1 was a police serial which ran from the early '60s till 1978. It had a great theme tune which I can hum :)
And "Hot Love" by T. Rex is a fantastic song
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la
...such profound lyrics.
I have to say there was nothing on the BBC that day that would have interested me, apart from possibly Doomwatch which was an ecological sci-fi show that I, to this day, have never seen, although I have seen the movie that was based on it.
When it comes to the UK singles chart, I approve of:
3. "Another Day" - Paul McCartney.
6. "My Sweet Lord" - George Harrison.
12. "Power to the People" - John Lennon.
22. "Grandad" - Clive Dunn. Where others hear a terrible novelty record, I hear only beauty.
35. "No Matter What" - Badfinger.
Definite chart lowlight for me is "Rupert" by Jackie Lee, the theme tune to TV's Rupert the Bear puppet show. A show that used to scare me so much, when I was a child, that I often had to hurriedly unplug the TV to avoid seeing it. I really didn't need that song on the charts, reminding me of its soul destroying horror.
As for the Pound, I do view decimalisation as the greatest event in human history I genuinely don't have a clue how anyone managed to buy anything before it was introduced. Hearing people of my parents' generation going on about tanners and shillings and farthings and, "Three and six," and, "Half a crown," was one of the most baffling experiences of my childhood.
Then again, it was also baffling hearing people of my grandparents' generation refusing to accept decimalisation, on the grounds that they couldn't understand it. They could understand a numerical system that involved dividing things by 240 but not by 100.
Charlie- to answer your question, I'd guess that we reach a point in childhood, around are 10, where we start becoming more aware of the world at large. I certainly have earlier memories, but those are mainly personal things like holidays, school and toys. By 10, maybe the time is ripe to notice the bigger picture...
Libraryguy - thanks for commenting! Interesting observation you make; yes, those times were tumultuous, but they still hold much fondness in memory.
Colin J- thanks for the background about the UK monetary system . My historical reference book features loads of headlines for the past century, but few details!
Well, I wasn't born at this point, so no memories for me (and my parents wouldn't have been reading comics!) I do remember watching Gunsmoke later on in reruns... I always loved the opening credits.
I've read quite a few of these comics too--some classic stuff in there: that Spidey is part of the "drug trilogy, the Avengers/Hulk crossover with Psyklop, Cap and Falcon in (I think) Harlem ... then there's the Ten-Eyed Man in Batman. I guess they can't all be winners.
Interesting discussion about the British currency changeover; I think my dad still has some "old" money from before decimalization. He's from England, and old enough to remember back to the days of threepenny bits, farthings, and ten-shilling notes, besides the more familiar ha'pennies and half crowns.
Steve DC - Surely Ringo had something on the charts???
Wow, this rarely happens. I only own one of the comics you've selected, and that's Astonishing Tales #6. First appearance Bobbi Morse, I think. Who knew she'd be a character on TV someday?
And I was just a wee lad at the time, so not much else.
Always a fun ride, though!
Charlie, sadly, Ringo only released one UK single in 1971 - "It Don't Come Easy" - and it didn't come out until April. He just narrowly missed out on the post-Beatle chart punch-up that was going on this month.
1971 was a good year for my collecting. I was only three at the time, but a few years later my cousin gave me numerous comics from ‘71. I was pretty much weaned on Buscema brothers’ Avengers and DC Adams - just didn’t know it at the time. That and Archie were constant reading material.
I don’t believe I saw the “Partridge Familyy” in first-run though I’m sure I’ve seen them all in syndication. However I did mention the other day that I recall watching the Bobby Sherman sitcom “Getting Together” which was from 1971 and actually was a spin-off of “The Partridge Family.” It was about a pair of singer songwriters ala Boyce and Hart.
1971 was a great year for movies too.. The French Connection, Diamonds Are Forever, Dirty Harry, A Clockwork Orange... that started a decade of movies that were really classic and fantastic.
Oh, and that Phantom Stranger cover is so great. I don’t think I had that one, but it totally makes me want to read that book. Is Phantom Stranger collected?
Hi Marti, I don't think Phantom Stranger is collected (someone please prove me wrong!). But old issues from the volume 2 Bronze Age run are out there for a good price as I think that they are generally undervalued. The volume 1 run from '52-'53 is another story with the first issue considered "rare" with only around 50 CDG issues on record. So if you bump into one, grab it!
Thank you Selenarch... I couldn’t find a collection either.
The link to the most famous question ever asked on the Newlywed Game. (I just had to see if it was urban legend, lol, after reading the blog!) It ain't legend; it's true!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XM5hbS7GlU
Steve Does Comics -
"Where others hear a terrible novelty record, I hear only beauty."
I feel the same way about Mister Blobby...
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