In late 1966, a young rock band by the name of The Royal Guardsmen released a single on the Laurie record label called, "Snoopy And The Red Baron". By early 1967, the song was charging up the U.S charts, the group was appearing on television shows and concerts around the country and Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, was suing the group for copyright violations.
As attorneys were meeting to negotiate, Laurie Records was in a bit of a quandary. The record was doing well in the U.S and now they were ready to release it in Canada. But with the lawsuit still pending they were afraid to release the record up north for fear that the negotiations might fail.
As a result, Laurie decided to have the band go into the studio and record a new version of the song called, "Squeaky And The Black Knight". Basically, this was the same song minus any reference to Snoopy or The Red Baron. The record was available in Canada for a short time and did receive airplay on a handful of radio stations.
Once a deal was made with Charles M. Schultz, Laurie pulled " Squeaky And The Black Knight" and released "Snoopy" in Canada. As a result, copies of "Squeaky" are extremely rare and go for big bucks whenever one turns up. You can listen to the song for no bucks at all below.
NAME: Sam The Butcher, feeble-minded butcher on The Brady Bunch TV show. SERIAL KILLER?: No, but Sam The Butcher would be a great name for a mafia hit man. Come to think of it, he did seem to love butchering meat so...I guess, it's hard to say for sure. OCCUPATION: Uhhh...well...a butcher...obviously! INTERESTS & HOBBIES: Bowling and ummm...butchering. PERSONAL LIFE: Nothing is known about Sam's past. He is single and probably not divorced (in the world of sixties tv, divorce, like African-Americans, Latinos, gays, sex, drugs, facial hair, clevage
etc...did not exist) but, perhaps, he is a widower. (Like Mike Brady).
Sam "dates" the Brady's housekeeper Alice. The two have a rather odd relationship, in that, they seldom touch but often bowl.
In fact, bowling seems to occupy a good deal of, not only their time, but also, their conversation.
Although, Mike and Carol spend a good amount of time making out, I don't know if we ever see Sam and Alice kiss. Perhaps the television censors back then thought the sight of two "older" people kissing was obscene. And in the case of Sam and Alice, I have to agree.
RELATIONSHIP WITH BRADY'S: Sam seems to have no family of his own, so the Bradys seem to have adopted him as some kind of pseudo-dopey uncle. Or maybe a family pet, like Alice. (The other family pet, Tiger, disappeared from the show not long after the Kitty Karryall incident. A trip to the pound in the family station wagon, perhaps?)
Sam is often treated like a dim toddler or a stray dog by the Bradys. Something to be indulged for a few minutes, but quickly whisked away while more important things are attended to. ( Mike s latest architectural plans or what to serve at the upcoming dinner party--Mike is leaning toward steaks but Carol is thinking Mexican)
Whenever Sam comes into contact with Mike and Carol he tends to shuck and jive around, cracking corny jokes and addressing them as Mr. and Mrs.Brady while they call him Sam and shake their heads at the wacky things he says. Also, the Brady children call him Sam but address every other adult (except Alice, of course) as Mr. and Mrs. I guess when you are ten years old and grow up with an astroturf lawn, you think it's okay to address the neighborhood butcher by his first name.
ACTOR: Sam was played by character actor Allan Melvin. Aside from The Brady Bunch, he is probably best remembered for his roles on The Andy Griffith Show. He always played the heavy and usually wants to beat up Barney.
--Casey Redmond
Shangri-La, Ohio
Planet Earth
The Ventures were not only the greatest rock n roll instrumental group of all time, they were also the most prolific. In 1966 alone, they released four albums including, "The Ventures Play The Batman Theme", one of their best.
If you believe the liner notes on the back of the album (and you should believe them, The Ventures would never lie), the idea for the record's concept came from a fan who wrote a letter suggesting that the band record an album of "tv action themes." (They even print the fans letter on the back cover.)
"Batman Theme", "Green Hornet", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E", "Get Smart" and "Secret Agent Man" are all here and given fabulous Ventures treatment. Extra credit should be given to producer Joe Saraceno for tastefully adding keyboards, percussion and backing vocals. Usually available on Amazon or e bay for a couple bucks. Well worth picking up.
Like most kids growing up in the seventies, I thought at some point in my adulthood I would load up in a cool looking van and go hunting for ghosts,. Alas, as I approach the perilous age of fifty I have, in fact, never had the opportunity to do so, but Nick Redfern has.
"Three Men Seeking Monsters" is Redfern's account of roadtripping around England in search of monsters, ghosts and other weird creatures. Accompanied by two equally eccentric friends (or "mates", as they call them in Britan) they spend probably as much time drinking in pubs as they do haunted houses. Think Hunter S. Thompson meets Scooby Doo.
Redfern is a self described ufologist and cryptozooologist and has written a slew of books on flying saucers, monkey-men and NASA conspiracies. But you don't have to be a true believer to enjoy the book because it is more "On The Road" than "Mothman Prophesies" and Redfern actually has a sense of humor and doesn't take the subject matter too seriously. Plus they drive a cool van (well, it's actually a camper, but still...)
As far as ghosts, aliens and monsters go, I would describe myself as a cheerful agnostic. I doubt that any of these things actually exist but I think it would be pretty cool if they did. And if anyone has a cool van and wants to go hunting for ghosts, count me in. As long as we can stop at a couple of pubs along the way.
Great spoken word album hosted by Alfred Hitchcock himself. As a kid, we would sit in the dark listening to this on hot air conditionless summer nights with the sound of the crickets drifting in from the open windows.
The album contains stories about haunted houses, evil magicians, ghostly hitchhikers and even one about giant malicious squirrels.
The album was released in 1962 but still holds up well today. Just remember to turn out the lights and lock the door.
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" has always been one of my favorite Monkees songs...great melody, hip lyrics, groovy guitar lick, incredible drumming and sparkling vocals...The song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King...Here is the songwriters demo recording with Carole King on vocals...it is much folkier than the Monkees version...it sounds like how The Mamas And Papas or Spanky & Our Gang might have done it...cool stuff.
Mysterious Country blues musician from Big Sandy, Texas...Recorded for Vocalion Records in 1927 &1929...Was in his fifties during recording sessions making him (perhaps) the oldest blues musician ever recorded...hoboed all over Texas and the Midwest, picking up gigs in towns along the various railroad lines (checkout "Railroading Some", his musical account of his hobo days)...Accompanied himself on guitar and panpipes or quills ( that instrument that Greek god Pan and Zamfir play) giving his music a strange mystical quality..
Wrote a bunch of tunes later covered by Taj Mahal, The Lovin' Spoonful, Bob Dylan, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Canned Heat (the flute solo on "Up The Country" is a note for note copy of Thomas' panpipe solo on "Bulldoze Blues")...Disappeared not long after 1929 recording sessions...Many blues scholars believe he died in the 1930's although there are claims he was still hoboing and performing as late as the 1950's...
