Mystery Date

 Posted by
Nov 292011
 

Let’s review the ground rules here. The Mystery Date song is not necessarily something I believe to be good. So feel free to rip it or praise it. Rather the song is something of interest due to the artist, influences, time period… Your job is to decipher as much as you can about the artist without research. Who do you think it is? Or, Who do you think it sounds like? When do you think it was recorded? Etc…

If you know who it is, don’t spoil it for the rest. Anyone who knows it can play the “mockcarr option.” (And I’ve got a hunch at least one of you know this one.) This option is for those of you who just can’t hold your tongue and must let everyone know just how in-the-know you are by calling it. So if you know who it is and want everyone else to know that you know, email Mr. Moderator at mrmoderator [at] rocktownhall [dot] com. If correct we will post how brilliant you are in the Comments section.

The real test of strength though is to guess as close as possible without knowing. Ready, steady, go!

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/MysteryDate112911.mp3|titles=MysteryDate112911]
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In Search of…High-Quality, Uncut Video Clips of ABC’s 1978 Extravaganza, Rock ‘n Roll Sports Classic

 Posted by
Nov 282011
 

There may be nothing I regret missing and altogether forgetting more than this 1978 TV special, Rock ‘n Roll Sports Classic, which appeared on ABC, the network behind “jiggle tv” classics like Charlie’s Angels, Three’s Company, and the awesome Battle of the Network Stars series. What the hell was I doing that night that cause me to miss this show? How is it that I fail to recall even missing it in the first place? Was I already too cool for school, sitting out a legendary sports-rock event because it didn’t pair off members of The Clash vs The Band?

Check out this washed-out clip and tell me Townsman alexmagic wouldn’t trade 5 to 10 years off his life to have been able to watch this thing in real time? Shoot, I could have invited you over for our first live RTH event, all of us gathered around the television in my Mom’s basement!

There are some better-quality clips of this show posted on YouTube, but they were edited down by some Runaways fanboy. I never liked Joan Jett and that crew from the git-go, although they do dominate the field in some of these events. When they’re introduced for the sprint in this fanboy’s edited clip, however, he skips over all the members of the blue team. Eff that!

My request is for someone/anyone to help us locate high-quality, uncut clips from this broadcast. We need to be able to put our heads together and study the moves of not only the women from the Runaways but Dash Crofts, Marilyn McCoo, and Kenny Loggins. If we can find high-quality footage of this show we may have to schedule a live get-together to break it down. Help a brother out, won’t you?

Previously…

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She Was a Great Woman…Andrea True

 Posted by
Nov 282011
 

There are certain songs, like ’em or loathe ’em, that have the ability to transport you back to the time when they were popular.  For me, even though, as Elton John says, “I was just a kid,” and a kid who felt obliged to hate disco reflexively, one of those songs is the timeless “More More More” by Andrea True Connection. Thus, when I read last week that she had died, I felt a real pang of sadness. Like most everyone else at this point, I think, I knew the basics of her story–porn actress turned disco diva turned one-hit wonder–but reading about her life and her aspirations was more poignant than I would have expected. Anyway, there you have it.

I also want to know if anyone else (or everyone else) associates this song with the similarly memorable “Fly Robin Fly” by Silver Connection. My assumption is that they must have been hits simultaneously, but I haven’t checked on that.

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Ken Russell, Music Video Pioneer, Dead

 Posted by
Nov 282011
 

You may recall an earlier discussion of the fascinating Ken Russell film Tommy. The controversial director has died at 84. While I find most of his films head-scratchingly badly amusing, his exaggerated, well-lit, creepily sexually charged film bios of music figures probably was highly influential on 1980s music video directors. As we reflect on his well-documented and discussed work on The Who’s rock opera Tommy and review some of his other likely influential works, let’s keep in mind some of the “drop-the-cat” video moments in the heyday of rock music videos that may not have been possible without Russell’s unique vision. And let’s keep in mind this quote from the director, which speaks for the spirit driving even his most laughable efforts—not to mention our own:

“I believe in what I’m doing wholeheartedly, passionately, and what’s more, I simply go about my business,” he wrote. “I suppose such a thing can be annoying to some people.”

I’ve never seen Lisztomania, but I wish I could say I had. I don’t know if I’d have the patience for it today, but I really should have jumped on the opportunity to watch Roger Daltrey acting in another movie. The following scene is just a taste of what I’ve been missing all these years:

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Rock Town Hall’s Saturday Night Shut-In: The Worst of the Best!

 Posted by
Nov 272011
 

Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!

In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In Mr. Moderator plays some of his selections for The Worst of the Best songs by favorite artists in his collection. You may remember this thread from earlier in the week, in which Townspeople chose their SINGLE WORST SONG from the prime era of 3 of their favorite bands. Tonight the Moderator airs some of his selections from among some of his cherished bands. You may suffer along with him or, who knows, you may find this the coolest collection of songs he’s ever played. Enjoy – and it’s never too late to add to the original thread or keep it going here.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-55.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 55]

[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]

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