Here we continue with our series The Age of Vinyl (8-Tracks & Cassettes).
Please listen and then come back here for LOTS o’ Show Notes:
Saturday Night Fever
ParcoSam: It started with an article in New York magazine, “Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night” by Nik Cohn, all about the thriving disco scene in Brooklyn. From Wikipedia: “Although presented as an account of factual reporting, Cohn acknowledged in the mid-1990s that he fabricated most of the article.” Oops!
Based on this lie, 1977’s Saturday Night Fever –the movie and the soundtrack–unleashed a musical monsoon that washed over western culture for the next 3-4 years.
Dark Side of the Moon
ParcoAnn: This album charted for a whopping 917 weeks on Billboard! The album was released when I was in second grade, 1973 and fell off the Billboard charts in 1988 when I had flunked out of college a couple times. Shine On You Crazy Diamond!
ParcoSam: I suspect that part of the longevity on the charts was due to the popularity of Pink Floyd laser light shows featuring the full album. I attended at least two Dark Side of the Moon laser light shows, one at Griffith Park Observatory in L.A. and one at Hayden Planetarium in NYC. Google today, and you’ll still find the tradition alive and well:
Motown
ParcoSam: In addition to Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, here is a non-comprehensive list of classic Motown legends:
- Mary Wells
- Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
- Gladys Knight & the Pips
- Diana Ross & the Supremes
- Martha Reeve & the Vandellas
- The Temptations
- The Marvelettes
- The Four Tops
- The Isley Brothers
- The Jackson 5
- The Commodores
Whew!!!
So if I try to think of artists from the 60s that weren’t either Motown or British Invasion, I come up with just a few names (The Beach Boys, The Byrds, the Velvet Underground) before I have to go do a Google.
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
ParcoAnn: This movie is so incredible, Stevie Wonder’s drum solo brought tears to my eyes. It’s astonishing!
ParcoSam: ParcoAnn recommended this watch to me, and I could not be more grateful. It is a soul-stirring, bum-shaking, heart-bursting celebration of music and community. A concert film, a documentary and testament to the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, and the context in which this concert took place.
It’s also head-scratching, as this stunning footage sat in a basement for 50 years, all but forgotten until an archivist became aware of it and contacted the originator to arrange digitizing the 40 hours of film. Think about the fact that Woodstock happened the same summer, and for 50 years we’ve been celebrating that and watching clips of performances, many considered legendary and era defining.
Yet it wasn’t until January of 2021 that Summer of Soul, directed by Ahmir Thompson (a.k.a, Questlove), had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. It’s currently showing on Hulu in the U.S. and on Disney+ here in Germany. If at all possible, experience it!
1978
Queen
ParcoSam: A rock anthem that was withstood the test of time. Imagine 200 pre-teens thumping lunch tables, clapping their hands and singing: “We will, we will rock you!” One of those rare unifying pop culture touchstones that brings us together, regardless of our accustomed divisions.
ParcoAnn: I know we didn’t talk about this song, but stripped down to just vocals, it is haunting and stunning. I Present to you Freddie Mercury and David Bowie acapella.
1980-1981
ParcoSam: The death of John Lennon knocked the wind out of us. We were dazed and devastated, trying to find some way to make sense of the greatest loss of our young lives. This song can still choke me up, I so associate it with that time. Coming right at the dawn of a decade, it would help define a new cynicism, a violent start to our teens, an awareness of the fragility of reality and heroes themselves.
ParcoSam: I didn’t see myself in ultra-confident, ultra-hip, hanging with the boys, rock chicks like Debbie Harry and Chrissy Hynde; but found something moving and revelatory in the infinitely un-hip musings and strange stylings of Kate Bush. I don’t have the capacity to try to express how much her work has meant to me. She stands alone on a fertile island pollinated by classic and prog rock, Celtic traditions, synth and Fairlight experimentation, literature and film, and the admiration and influence of peers from Peter Gabriel to Prince. Inspired and inspiring, there are a couple of generations of musicians who wouldn’t be possible without her trail-blazing originality.
ParcoSam: How extraordinary that somebody captured the FIRST TWO HOURS OF MTV! Wow! It’s suitably VHS grainy and a bit choppy here and there, but what a time capsule. A few notes:
Artists who are played twice each:
- Rod Stewart
- The Pretenders
- Split Enz
- Pat Benatar
- Styx
Artists I have never heard of that appear:
- P.H.D.
- Robin Lane & the Chartbusters
- Shoes
- Rupert Hine
- Tom Johnson (who turns out to be a former Doobie Brother)
Two supergroup videos from the Concert for the People of Kampuchea:
- Fronted by Paul McCartney singing ‘Lucille’
- Fronted by Robert Plant singing ‘Little Sister’
The first two hours hosted by VeeJay Mark Goodman. Who’d a thunk?
This was the multi-button cable box from the early 80’s. 
The most basic style of 8-Track deck with Joan Jett hanging out. 
We had plenty of pre-recorded Cassette tapes, but blank tapes defined our generation’s relationship to music.
The Kids Are Alright
ParcoAnn: This is the very best clip from The Rolling Stones 1968 film Rock and Roll Circus; it was considered rare footage when it showed up in The Kids are Alright. (The Stone’s film would not be released until 1996). Recently watched Rock and Roll Circus for the first time, the Stones performance is not that great, but this is absolutely hands down one of my favorite Who performances–ever.
ParcoSam: I second that emotion! I may not see The Kids Are Alright every year anymore, but I seek out this video of The Who at least twice a year. Great performance!
Nerding on 8-Tracks
Keith Moon biting leg
ParcoAnn: Ya know…I will freely admit I was a strange and very silly child. When I discovered The Who I was enamoured with Keith Moon. Not because he was cute, but because he made me laugh with his crazy antics. I would sometimes bite my friend’s legs (not hard) because I could and Keith did.
ParcoSam: So glad you found this! I looked high and low for this clip of The Who. Now I know why I couldn’t find it: geoblocked! The B&%$§$%s!
High Fidelity & Record Stores
ParcoAnn: I can’t tell you how I truly lived this. I loved working at record stores, but the elitist music snobs are real – and I was sadly one of them back then – might still be, not sure.
Records stores were my second home. All my childhood record stores have gone out of business: Music+, Gramophone (first to close down), Moby Disc, Tower Records, Licorice Pizza, The Odyssey and the Wherehouse.
Though they are all gone–I suppose Tower Records has comeback as online only–those stores maintain a very special happy place in my soul. Although, combing through the internet webs, two former Moby Disc employees have recently opened a record store on Ventura Blvd called Freakbeat Records. It would not be the first time a Moby Disc employee opened their own store, former Manager Kip opened Ear Candy in the 90s but I don’t think it survived.
Vinyl is coming back and this makes me very happy. Nothing matches the warmth of the music emanating from that delicious licorice pizza.
I have found no commercials for Moby Disc, but here is a famous scene from one of my all time favorite films Spinal Tap filmed in Moby Disc.
Prog Rock
ParcoSam: Alright, I guess I can say here that I was formerly married to a very enthusiastic Prog Rock fan and collector, which resulted in me living in that world for more than a decade.
In addition to the innumerable shows and concerts I attended during that time, there were the viewing and listening parties where the faithful would gather to exchange arcane knowledge and treasured bootlegs. Invariably, I was in the minority at these get togethers, being the bearer of a uterus, as they were quite rightly known as Sausage Parties (if you ever want to feel like the belle of the ball, ladies, I recommend attending one).
Honestly, Progfans were collectively some of the smartest, nicest people I’ve ever met, and they warmly welcomed me into their fold, even if they pitied my tragic lack of knowledge.
In the Prog Rock Pantheon:
- The Beatles (the guys who started it all with Sgt. Pepper)
- Emerson, Lake & Palmer
- Fairport Convention
- Genesis (with Peter Gabriel)
- The Grateful Dead *
- Jethro Tull *
- King Crimson *
- Steely Dan *
- Pink Floyd
- Rainbow
- Renaissance
- Todd Rundgren *
- Rush
- Sigur Ros
- Steeleye Span
- Tangerine Dream
- Yes *
- Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention
And for each of those above, endless iterations, spinoffs and solo artists. Also, this is but a tiny star cluster in the Prog Rock universe.
* Those I saw live, some multiple times
Deadheads
ParcoAnn: Oh the glorious Deadhead, traveling around like the Sunshine Family from show to show.
I dated a Deadhead for a while and went to many, many, shows. I was always getting in trouble with the neighboring Deadheads camping in the parking lot for playing Bauhaus, Flesh For Lulu, Siouxsie and so many Undead Undead Undead artists in my car on my Craig tape deck after the show.
Saw The Dead and Company by myself a couple years ago with John Mayer singing with them, I was actually impressed with his performance – I just always thought he sang about bodies being wonderlands in a breathy voice. That man surprised me with his range and guitar playing.
Flexidiscs
ParcoAnn: And here is the Haircut 100 Flexidisc I got out of Face Magazine. I forgot how much fun I thought Haircut 100 was.
Beatles’ Christmas Album
ParcoAnn: It is tradition to listen to the Beatles Christmas albums every year. I still giggle maniacally even though I’ve heard it over what seems to be a million times.
NERDS!