Category: As Seen On TV (and film)

As Seen On TV (and film)

Various Artists – Wild in the Streets Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1968)

May 10, 2024

A perennial garage band favorite, “The Shape of Things to Come,” originally released by a studio group credited as Max Frost and the Troopers, may be one of the most timeless and prophetic political anthems ever released. Capturing the eternal struggle of the generation gap in the face of revolution and change, the song is as relatable now as when it was releaased in 1968. But who were Max Frost and the Troopers? A look at the origins and continuous importance of “The Shape of Things to Come” and how it took a life of its own beyond the problematic film that introduced it, “Wild in the Streets.”

Cilla Black – Is It Love? (1965)

May 5, 2024

When Cilla Black’s first US LP, “Is it Love?” was dropped on American soil, it claimed that the British songstress was “England’s Most Popular Solo Singer.” However, unlike many of the other women to come out of the British Invasion, Cilla never hit big in America. But there was two things that she had that the other girls didn’t have – the backing of The Beatles, and the genius of Brian Epstein. A look at Cilla’s place on the Merseybeat scene, her relationship with The Fab Four, the stories behind her biggest hits and the final gift that Brian Epstein left her which turned her into a UK entertainment legend. Extra: Cilla Black’s rivalry with DIonne Warwick!

Cilla Black – The Very Best of Cilla Black (1983)

April 26, 2024

In true “Surprise Surprise” fashion, British entertainment icon Cilla Black is back as a cultural phenome, now as a popular Tik Tok meme. But, with most of the platform’s user’s watching butchered clips from her Cillagrams, the laughs are on Cilla and not in spite of her. A look at the television career of Cilla Black, and putting some much needed context into “Surprise Surprise,” “Cillagrams” and the origins of these bizarre Cilla Black Tik Tok videos.

Paul McCartney – Give My Regards to Broad Street (1984)

April 16, 2024

At the age of nine future record collector Sam Tweedle brought a copy of Paul “McCartney’s “Give my Regards to Broad Street” home from a school fun fair which opened the doorway into the music of The Beatles, although he didn’t know it. One music fan’s misstep into the music of McCartney, and a look at his early 1980’s MTV period and his hit single “No More Lonely Nights.” Extra: The importance of McCartney and Michael Jackson’s collaborations on the MTV generation.

Vinyl Stories Interview – Killing Us Softly with His Songs: A Conversation with Charles Fox

April 2, 2024

In conjunction with the new documentary “Killing Us Softly with His Songs,” Sam Tweedle talks with composer Charles Fox about his unique life in music. Although he has worked in the fields of jazz, classical, opera, film scores and pop music, Charles Fox has made his unique mark on pop culture by co-writing some of the most iconic television theme songs of all time. From the streets of the Bronx to the conservatories of Paris, the Hollywood Hills to the music halls of Cuba, Charles Fox discusses some of the music which has become an important part of our lives.

The Partridge Family – Sound Magazine (1971)

February 25, 2024

In 2015 Sam Tweedle found long lost fan letter to teen idol David Cassidy from a young girl named Monica. Offering an insight into the real anxieties and thoughts of a young teen fan, Sam shares the letter over fifty years after it was originally written. Bonus: Tiger Beat and 16 Magazine’s battle over David Cassidy coverage, David’s best friend Sam Hyman, that time Laurie got braces, and how YOU can win one of David’s puppies!

The Partridge Family – The Partridge Family Album (1970)

February 1, 2024

Everybody remembers David Cassidy as the lead singer of The Partridge Family, but who were the other members of the group? A deep dive into The Ron Hicklin Singers – the most famous uncredited singing group of all time. From Gary Lewis and the Playboys to The Monkees and far beyond, the Ron Hicklin Singers created a sound of an entire generation through television, film, radio and commercials, defining the signature sound of the 1960’s and 1970’s pop industry.

Paul Williams – Phantom of the Paradise Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1974)

October 19, 2023

In this world there are “Rocky Horror” people, and there are “Phantom of the Paradise” people. “Rocky Horror” fans seem, for the most part, to be ignorantly unaware of “Phantom of the Paradise,” while “Phantom of the Paradise” fans just simply know which film is better.  A loving look at Paul Williams’ phantastic soundtrack to the 1974 cult film “Phantom of the Paradise.”

Various Artists – Beyond the Valley of the Dolls Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1970)

August 14, 2023

In 1970 director Russ Meyer introduced a new rock band, The Carrie Nations, to audiences in his film epic “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.” With music written by Stu Phillips, and featuring the talents of Lynn Carey, The Strawberry Alarmclock, and The Sandpipers, the film contained some of the freshest and most dynamic rock music ever written for a film, reflecting the sounds and attitude of Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip culture. But the music would be ignored by the Billboard charts and barely found an audience while one of the key players was mysteriously missing from the soundtrack album. An introduction to the world of “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and the music of The Carrie Nations.

Jean-Pierre Mirouze – Le Mariage Collectif Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)

August 7, 2023

A forgotten soundtrack to an obscure French exploitation film, Jean-Pierre Mirouze’s exciting and exotic soundtrack to “Le Mariage Collectif” went ignored and undistributed when test printings were made in 1971. Nearly lost forever it wasn’t until a discarded acetate containing the music was pulled out of a Parisian garbage dump in 2010 that the world finally had the chance to hear the best film score you’ve never heard before, which gained a cult following amongst audiophiles and music hipsters.

Various Artists – Nadia’s Theme (The Young and the Restless) (1976)

May 19, 2023

Whether you know it as the theme song to “The Young and the Restless,” “Nadia’s Theme” or “Cotton’s Dream,” Perry Botkin Jr and Barry De Vorsan’s composition has become one of the most recognizable instrumentals of the 20th Century. A deep dive into the song’s many incarnations and lives from “Bless the Beasts and the Children,” to the 1978 Olympics to….David Hasselhoff?? Extra: Who were The Sounds of Sunshine, and why did they successfully sue The Dead Kennedys?

Paul Revere and the Raiders – Something Happening (1968)

May 1, 2023

Despite being one of the best American bands of the 1960’s, Paul Revere and the Raiders never found the legacy they’ve deserved. Was it the gimmicky costumes, their association with Dick Clark Productions or the animosity between Paul Revere and front man Mark Linsday which prevented them from becoming top tier rock legends? A look at the rise and fall of Paul Revere and the Riaders, and why they need to be rediscovered.

Various Artists – Zabriskie Point Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1970)

April 28, 2023

Although it was one of the biggest box office bombs of the all time, Michelangelo Antonioni’s 1970 film “Zabriskie Point” spawned one of the best soundtrack albums of the era with original music by The Grateful Dead, The Youngbloods, Kaleidoscope and Pink Floyd. The resu.t was a soundtrack album more culturally relevant and remembered than the film that spawned it. Extra: A brief overview of the lives of the couple on the cover, Mark Frechette and Daria Halprin,.