Australia Day: Wednesday, 26th January, 1977

Following on from the film, “The Invisible Boy”, from 1957 — in which Richard Eyer portrays a boy whom, as the film’s title suggests, is made invisible by a computer whose aim is to take over the world — on Channel Seven, an authority on films, Bill Collins, introduces an interview he conducted with British actor, Michael York, on the set of the film, “Logan’s Run”.

At 5.00 p.m., we watched Chuck “The Rifleman” Connors host an episode of the series, “Thrillseekers”, which includes a man who prepares himself to be a ‘human bomb’ inside a coffin. Although he claims to be knocked out each time he performs the stunt, he has executed it three hundred times in four years.

Unrest In Madrid: Thursday, 27th January, 1977

We shopped for our groceries at the store, Jewel, in Caringbah. I later exchanged a ten dollar note for smaller denominations at the Rural Bank, in Engadine.

Bill Collins’ interview today is with James Herriot, the veterinary surgeon portrayed in “It Shouldn’t Happen To A Vet”, in which his character is played by John “Please Sir” Alderton. James is sixty years of age, although he does not look it, and is the author of six books. He appears to be an extremely nice chap.

The news at 6.30 p.m., on Channel Seven, is read by Roger Climpson. There is unrest in Madrid.

At half past eight, on Channel Two, in the British comedy series, “Bless this House”, Sidney Abbott, played by the late Sid James, his wife and son take it upon themselves to fast in order to raise money for charity.

Home Hunting: Saturday, 29th January, 1977

A two-bedroom unit on the top floor of a building on Chuter Avenue, in Ramsgate, is for sale at $28,150. Around on Alfred Street and only a block from the beach, a two-storey townhouse is for sale with an asking price of $34,000.

A nice unit on Curtis Place, in Caringbah, but right next to the railway line, is for sale at $30,000. We stopped to look at new units and townhouses at 28 Port Hacking Road, Sylvania. Although they look nice inside, the road is a busy one and their exterior reminds me of the grey stone one sees so frequently used as a building material at Mount Gambier, in South Australia.

At McDonald’s, in Fairlight, a fillet ‘o fish burger cost seventy-five cents, a chocolate thickshake forty-five cents and chicken and chips, one dollar and forty-five.

It is twenty-eight degrees Celsius at 4.45 p.m.

Nose With Legs!: Sunday, 30th January, 1977

A three-bedroom fibro house on Raleigh Street, in Caringbah, with a large flat backyard is for sale at $37,000. Another similar house on the same street: $34,500. Yet another, run-down but on a large block of land, in Carrington Street, near The Boulevarde; $34,000. A two-bedroom fibro house on Raglan Road, in Miranda, has an asking price of $36,950.

Tiki informed me that her nose was running, to which I jocularly quipped, “It’s probably trying to get away from your face!”

Public Holiday: Monday, 31st January, 1977

Today is a public holiday to mark Australia Day. Two large bottles of dry ginger ale cost eighty-four cents.

At noon, on Channel Nine, actor Tim “McHale’s Navy” Conway’s character endeavours to break the world’s roller-skating endurance record of one hundred and forty-seven hours, in the film, “Roll Freddie, Roll”, from 1974. Television series screening today include: “Gidget” (5.00 p.m., Channel Seven), “Good Times” (7.30 p.m., Channel Seven), “Charlie’s Angels” (Channel Nine) and the British police drama, “The Sweeney” (10.00 p.m., Channel Seven), which stars Dennis Waterman and John Thaw.

Sam Cooke

Although he was only on this earth for a relatively short time, Sam Cooke’s music was to influence artists for decades after his passing. Rod Stewart was once quoted as saying that for a period of two years he listened to no other recordings than those of Sam Cooke.

Sam Cooke, in some quarters is looked upon as the founder of soul, while in others one of its pioneers. As with other African-American artists of his era he began by singing gospel. His father, a Baptist minister, had taken the family from the state of Mississippi to the city of Chicago, Illinois, when Sam was a child.

A writer of his own material, Sam surely could not have envisaged a more impressive beginning than when his first hit, “You Send Me”, went all of the way to No.1, in 1957. A long succession of successful releases followed, with him even charting posthumously with hits such as “Shake” and the highly emotive “A Change Is Gonna Come”, in the midst of Civil Rights’ Movement.

http://youtu.be/oqzv1ZS6uZs

Controversy still surrounds his death in a hotel, in Los Angeles, in December of 1964. I saw actual footage in a recent documentary, on Sam’s life, in which the manageress is seen to claim that she had fired up to thirty bullets into him, in an act of self-defence. Uncertainty even exists as to his actual age at the time of his obit, with me having seen it listed as twenty-nine and on another occasion, thirty-three.

Briton Craig Douglas did such a superb job of covering Sam’s “Only Sixteen” that, in 1959, it went all of the way to the top of the British charts. Dr. Hook revived this song in 1976. The British group, Herman’s Hermits, successfully revived “Wonderful World”; Rod Stewart, “Twisting The Night Away”; the Australian band, The Groove, “Soothe Me”; The Spinners, “Cupid”; and country star, Mickey Gilley, my favourite track of Sam’s, “Bring It On Home To Me”. Perhaps the greatest homage to Sam Cooke was paid by the incredibly talented Cat Stevens, when he departed from his own material to record “Another Saturday Night”.

http://youtu.be/SQU4torUz-Q

The names of more recordings by Sam Cooke can be found in the selected playlists. Whilst there, why not peruse the list of my favourite recordings? I shall be updating this list from time to time.

Loretta Lynn

Loretta Webb was born, in Kentucky, in April of 1934 (or 1935, for I have seen both years mentioned). Her father was a coal miner and she was the second of eight children of whom singer, Crystal Gayle, was another.

When Loretta was just thirteen she married Oliver Lynn, who encouraged her to pursue a career in country music. She was signed to Decca Records, where she received much encouragement from Patsy Kline. Her first single to chart came in 1960, in the form of “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl” and her most successful, “One’s On The Way”, in 1971.

While she remained massively successful on the American country charts, Loretta scarcely made an impression on the pop charts there. Some small consolation might have come from the fact that “One’s On The Way” entered the pop charts in Australia, which did not have country charts, and peaked, at No.9, two years after its American release.

Sissy Spacek was to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Loretta in the autobiographical film, “Coal Miner’s Daughter”. Loretta’s life is certainly a tale that took her from rags to riches!

Loretta wrote a number of her hits, most notably “Fist City”, “Rated X”, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” and “You Ain’t Woman Enough”. My favourite recordings are “Trouble In Paradise”, from 1974, “Love Is The Foundation” (1973) and “As Soon As I Hang Up The Phone”, one of the five No.1 hits she recorded in duet with Conway Twitty, from 1974.

http://youtu.be/AaruhQOPfAc

Loretta also recorded with Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette, in addition to one of the earliest stars of country music, Ernest Tubb.

The names of more recordings by Loretta Lynn can be found in the suggested playlists. Whilst you are there why not peruse the list of my favourite recordings? I shall be adding to it from time to time.

Little Anthony and The Imperials

Tenor, Anthony Gourdine, was still in high school in Brooklyn, New York, when he helped to form the group, The Duponts. His next group, The Chesters, was to change its name and call itself The Imperials.

Little Anthony and The Imperials’ initial hit, “Tears On My Pillow”, in 1958, was to sell a million copies. This, in spite of the group not being fond of the song. Kylie Minogue revived it in 1989, with it appearing in her film, ‘The Delinquents’.

A short list of singles that had failed to perform as expected led the quintet to record a novelty song, “Shimmy, Shimmy, Ko-Ko-Bop”. It was to restore the vocal group’s status within the recording industry, as 1959 met 1960.

http://youtu.be/UGlHOasCgxY

Nonetheless, further singles failed to chart with impact and, as a result, the group split up. However, by 1964, the members had been convinced that they should re-form and from this reformation the five were to experience their most successful period, with the release of “I’m On The Outside (Looking In)”, the pop standard “Goin’ Out Of My Head”, “Hurt So Good” and “Take Me Back”.

http://youtu.be/UIEndpLXk54

Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean was born as Leslie Sebastian Charles, in January of 1950, on the island of Trinidad. His family moved to live in London when he was eight years of age. There, the West Indian rhythms, to which he had been exposed, became influenced by the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals and American artists such as Sam Cooke, Ben E. King and Otis Redding.

Against his parents’ wishes, Billy became apprenticed to a tailor. He also began to learn how to play the piano. This eventually led him to perform in British clubs at night. The selection of his stage name was inspired by the film, ‘Ocean’s 11’, which starred Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Although Billy was to sample success with his debut single, “Love Really Hurts Without You”, in 1976, it was not until 1984 and the release of the catchy “Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)”, that he was propelled to global stardom. The album, ‘Suddenly’, was marketed to coincide with the release of the latter single. This was followed by the albums, ‘Love Zone’, in 1986, and ‘Tear Down These Walls’, in 1988.

The single, “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going”, became the theme to the highly successful film, ‘Jewel Of The Nile’. More hits followed, including “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” and “Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car”, ensuring that the name, Billy Ocean, is there among those on the list of the most prominent, solo male artists of the 1980s.

The names of more hits by Billy Ocean can be located in the suggested playlists. Whilst you are there, why not peruse the list of my favourite recordings? I shall be adding to it from time to time.