Professor Mikey’s OLD SCHOOL

Poor Boy SPLIT ENZ

Long before their musical morphing led them into a group called Crowded House, brothers Neil and Tim Finn started the first band from New Zealand to make it big.  Split Enz would conquer the world with a single called I Got You.  They formed in Auckland in 1974, went through a lot of personnel changes, then in 1980 came up with True Colors, a laser-etched piece of vinyl that seemed to perfect the new wave pop sound and capture an era that was destined to last at least 36 minutes, until the album was over.  Here’s the Split Enz.  What more can a poor boy do?The famous laser-etched True Colours from 1980.My love is alien, I picked her up by chanceShe speaks to me in ultra-high frequencyThe radio band of goldGonna listen 'Til I grow oldOo hoo hooWhat more can a poor boy do?Oo hoo hooWhat more can a poor boy do?Oo hoo hoo hooThe crackle of the radioThe message in the evening skyYou're looking at an interplanetary RomeoI'll never see her faceBetween us there's too much spaceOo hoo hooWhat more can a poor boy do?Oo hoo hooWhat more can a poor boy do?Oo hoo hoo hooOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohOh oh oh ohKeep losing youWhat more can a poor boy do?What more can a poor boy do? YeahWhat more, What moreWhat more can a poor boy do? YeahWhat more, What moreWhat more can a poor boy do?Source: MusixmatchSongwriters: Brian Timothy Finn / Edward RaynerPoor Boy lyrics © Mushroom Music Pty. Ltd., Mushroom Music Pty Ltd, Origin Music Publishing Pty LtdHere’s the I GOT YOU video:Don’t Miss: This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

The Trip KIM FOWLEY

Legendary LA wild music man Kim Fowley was involved in sooo many projects, including records by B Bumble and The Stingers, the Hollywood Argyles, The Seeds, the Runaways, and his own slap dash solo career.  He was always a bit ahead of his time, like here when he recorded what is regarded as the first psychedelic novelty record two years before the Summer of Love.  It came out in Great Britain in 1965 and in the U. S. in 1966, received limited airplay, and survives today as one of the great curiosity’s of LSD.  Kim Fowley and “The Trip.”Summer time's here, kiddiesAnd it's time to take a trip, to take a tripThis world's so bad, you feel so sadYou gotta take a trip into a world so gladA world of frogsAnd green fountainsAnd flying dogsAnd silver catsAnd emerald ratsAnd purple cloudsAnd faceless crowdsAnd walls of glass that never passAnd pictures hanging upside-downI won't ask, where you areIt's another world, you and your girl, and all your friends, ahWill all be there, oh yeah, let's take a tripLet's take a tripT-N-T, S.O.S, H-O-B, T-O-PIt's the top, it's the topHey, here we go now, let's climb some mountains, everybodyGet on your walking shoesWe'll start to climb some mountains, here we goLet's take a trip, let's take a tripIt's time to dream, just close your eyesIt's groovy now, yeah, I'm floatin' because I'm swimmin' in beautyIt's all around, let's take a tripFly from the ground, woah-woah yeah, let's take a tripIt's really hip, no one will know what goes onJust you and meAnd the dreams we seeOh c'mon baby, oh c'mon babyYou're doing it right, just put your head backSource: LyricFindSongwriters: Dennis Hardesty / Kim Fowley / Paul GeddessThe Trip lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLCAI Liner Notes Kim Fowley was an American record producer, songwriter, and musician who was behind a string of novelty and cult pop rock singles in the 1960s ¹. He was involved as co-producer/co-publisher with a string of successful records produced in Los Angeles. With Gary S. Paxton he recorded the novelty song "Alley Oop", which reached #1 on the charts in 1960 and was credited to the non-existent group the Hollywood Argyles. In 1961 he co-produced the instrumental "Like, Long Hair", arranged by Paxton, which became a #38 hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders. He arranged "Nut Rocker" for B. Bumble and the Stingers, which became a #1 hit in the UK in 1962 and talent scouted "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow", a #48 hit for the Rivingtons ¹.He also composed material recorded by The Byrds, Cat Stevens, Them, and Kiss, and produced the likes of Gene Vincent, Warren Zevon, Soft Machine, and Helen Reddy ². In 1975, he returned to his Svengali role by assembling the notorious Runaways, a teenage hard rock girl group featuring a young Joan Jett, Lita Ford, and Cherie Currie ²."The Trip" is a song written and recorded by Kim Fowley. It first appeared on the A-side of Fowley's debut single as a solo artist, which was released in early 1965 on Corby Records ¹. In the composition, Fowley encourages those depressed with the world to escape it by taking LSD, pronouncing "Summertime's here, kiddies, and it's time to take a trip! To take trips!". The contents become more bizarre as he describes hallucinogenic visions of animals, and drug-induced seduction ¹.Remarkably, despite "The Trip"'s unusual arrangement, it became a regional hit in Los Angeles, and was covered by noted deejay Godfrey in 1966, and by The Fire Escape in 1967 ¹. An advertisement in a November 1965 edition of the Los Angeles Free Press promoting the remaining copies of "The Trip" suggest the single was one of the earliest works to obviously speak about the psychedelic experience.Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/27/2023The Trip (Kim Fowley song) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trip_%28Kim_Fowley_song%29.The Trip by Kim Fowley - Track Info | AllMusic. https://www.allmusic.com/song/the-trip-mt0026994375.Kim Fowley – The Trip (1965, Vinyl) - Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/release/1661236-Kim-Fowley-The-Trip.Source: Conversation with Bing, 6/27/2023(1) Kim Fowley - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Fowley.(2) Kim Fowley Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kim-fowley-mn0000099345/biography.(3) Kim Fowley, Producer And Rock Svengali, Dies : The Record : NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/01/16/377682746/kim-fowley-producer-and-rock-svengali-dies.(4) Kim Fowley Net Worth - Employment Security Commission. https://www.ncesc.com/kim-fowley-net-worth/. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Shama Lama Ding Dong OTIS DAY and the KNIGHTS (1977)

And now, some great confusion.  Remember the band Otis Day and the Knights?  Of course you do, even though they weren’t a real band.  They were the house band the frat boys go to see in “Animal House.”  The part of Otis Day was played by actor DeWayne Jessie, although he was lip syncing the voice of Lloyd Williams, a singer who went on to find fame in the reggae field.  The song Shama Lama Ding Dong was written for the film by Mark Davis, and it shouldn’t be confused with Rama Lama Ding Dong by the Edsels.  Confused enough?  There’s more.  The movie was such a hit that DeWayne Jessie formed a band called Otis Day and the Knights and began touring the college circuit, raking in significant cash from Animal House wannabees.  So here they are, singing the song that made the band…Otis Day and the Knights!!!If I searched,This whole wide world,I'd never never never,Find me a girl,Who'd love me,The way that you do.Huh,'Cause You'reShama Lama,HuhRama rama rama ding dongBaby huhYou put theOoh mou mouOh oh oh ohBack into my smile, childHey That is whyThat is whyYou are my sugar dee dee dooYou put theShAma LamaBabyDing dongHeyYou put theOoh mou mouOh oh oh ohBack into my smile, childThat is whyThat is whyYou are my sugar dee dee dooAnd our love,This love we share,Is stronger than any otherNo-one else can compareStronger than the highest mountain,And the deepest seaHeyYou put theShama Lama,BabyRama rama rama ding dongHeyYou put theOoh mou mouOh oh oh ohBack into my smile, childHeyThat is whyThat is whyYou are my sugar dee dee dooShama Lama,BabyRama rama rama ding dongHeyYou put theOoh mou mouOh oh oh ohThat is whyThat is whyYou are my sugar dee dee dooSource: MusixmatchSongwriters: Mark Kevin DavisShama Lama Ding Dong lyrics © Usi B Music Publishing This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

OLD SCHOOL #48 Poolside ’83

Professor Mikey here, parked in a DeLorean equipped with an 8-track outside a typical public swimming pool on a typical summer afternoon in 1983.  It was weird getting here, but I think I found the right tunes so we should be good for an afternoon in a world ruled by Ronald Reagan, Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna and one particular lifeguard.Like all decades, the 80s have taken a while to really kick in. MTV has been around for a couple of years. Everybody is excited about  The Return of the Jedi coming out this summer. By Christmas, people will be selling their souls to get their kid a Cabbage Patch Doll.But right now it’s hot and it’s pretty much a tubular party in the deep end. The music reflects the times. Disco is gone but the beat remains. Electricity is the star, in the drums, in the keyboards. Just about anything that can be plugged is plugged in, and it drives a sound that is thumping mad.The idea is to recreate the soundtrack of what we were swimming to that endless summer of 1983. We go back as far as last September when the ‘82 pools closed, and don’t go past August of ‘83 so we can get the essence of a true moment in Coppertone time. And have some fun.Also, since this is a podcast generated in a different century, we have to mind a few rules. Don’t worry, you are getting the real thing. Know though that it really is the summer of Michael Jackson. During a five day period in June, Michael sold 750,000 copies of Thriller.  Toto’s “Africa” got played a few zillion times a day on American radio, which was completely ruled by financial decisions. So I had to snip a few songs just so the moneylenders wouldn’t block the whole podcast.But I’m pretty sure we will get by. The Eighties are essentially the Fifties with cocaine. And enough electricity to power a small midwestern city. At the pool we turn up the amps and bring the heat. It’s a Cruel Summer of never ending smashes and splashes.Welcome to Professor Mikey’s Old School #48, Poolside ‘83.We’ve been rocking out quite a bit here on this special wet and wild edition Old School. Like any good DJ Professor Mikey knows when it’s time to change the tempo a little. Also this is an educational program, so let’s do some math. You heard right. If you were born somewhere between February and April or May in 1984, there’s more than a good chance that you were made during the summer of 1983. Thinking about your parents hooking up is not top of mind for most podcasts, but the odds speak for themselves. These upcoming artists had a direct effect on a little population spike. Some might call this a slow dance, or a moonlight swim in this case.Here are Patti Austin, James Ingram, and Marvin Gaye. And maybe your mom and your dad. And a little surprise, just like you. Poolside ‘83 and music for a night swim.Saying goodbye to Poolside ‘83 isn’t going to be easy. It was a complicated time, but there was a lot of fun. We’ve learned complications and no fun equals, well, no fun. Remember in 1983, we were about a year from the first CDs.  Money changed over time. What you could buy for a dollar in 1983 will cost you three dollars today. The idea of cel phones was around, but not like we have today. They were big clunky devices with long antennas that looked like walkie talkies from Mattel.Hidden Valley Ranch dressing was introduced, as were the Mario Brothers.But that summer left a playlist that craved a swimming pool, or some way to stay wet and wild. I’ll listen to this podcast anytime I need to return. You can too.While this was getting put together, I also compiled a playlist of these and many other songs that were as available as sunshine and chlorine in 1983. Go to Professor Mikey’s Old School on YouTube and click on playlists.Old School is produced for educational purposes. Any and all music heard in this program resides within the public domain, is licensed through the podcast carrier, or is used within the guidelines of fair use provided for in Section 107 of the copyright act of 1976.This podcast is brought to you by Retrofit, a free private newsletter you can subscribe to for free or with a modest donation at retrofit.substack.com.  I’m Professor Mikey, thanks for listening. Lets spend just a few more minutes in the water and be the last ones out of the pool.Cruel Summer BananaramaToo Shy KajagoogooDer Kommissar After the FloodLet’s Dance David BowieCome on Eileen Dexy’s Midnight RamblersChurch of the Poison Mind Culture ClubGloria Laura BranniganElectric Avenue Eddie GrantAfterWell Dressed Man ZZ TopBaby Come to Me Patti Austin and James IngrahmSexual Healing Marvin GayeTrue Spandau BalletKing of Pain The PoliceKeep Feeling Fascination Human LeagueHungry Like the Wolf Duran DuranPutting on the Ritz TacoSweet Dream EurythmicsPass the Dutchie Musical YouthWhite Lines (Don’t Do It) Grandmaster FlashHoliday MadonnaJeopardy Greg Kihn BandShe Blinded Me with Science Thomas DolbyPhotograph Flock of Seagulls Wild World Tears for FearsRadio Free Europe REMHey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye BananaramaOverkill Men at Work This is a public episode. 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That’s What I’ll Do THE BAD BOYS (1964)

November of 1964.  The Bad Boys go into the studio in London, to experiment with a bit of UKRandB.  Beatlemania is rampant, the Stones are battling for second place along with Herman’s Hermits and Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas.  It’s a wild scene of mods and rockers and this band will disappear completely after cutting a single called Owl and the Pussycat.  Even better is the forgotten flipside.  That’s What I’ll Do.  The Bad Boys.Bad Boys Discography1964: The Owl and the Pussycat/That's What I'll Do (Piccadilly Records)1965: Satisfaction/Mr. Tambourine Man (Pye Records)1966: Gol/She's A Breakway (Style, STMS 633)1966: Balliamo il jerk/Finché ti incontrerò (Style, STMS 634)1966: Kicks/She's A Breakway (Style, STMS 635)1966: Il mio amore è un capellone/Runnin' and Hidin' (Style, STMS 643)1967: Shaly nº 1/Quel ragazzo triste sono io (Style, STMS 648)1967: Che vita la mia/Cerco la verità (Style, STMS 658)1968: Da da da/Nasco da oggi (City, C 6215) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Everybody Else is Wrong UTOPIA (1980)

Todd Rundgren formed the band Utopia in 1974, and had an on again off again relationship with the group, depending upon his solo projects and what he was producing for other people. In 1980, Utopia released a strange but charming Beatle satire.  Unlike The Rutles, who concentrated on ribbing the personalities of the Fab Four, this album digested, parodied, produced and disseminated the whole of Beatlemania, from the depths of the Cavern to the meditative mountain peaks of India, in a series of songs that run less than a half hour for both sides. It’s like a visit across an alternate universe.  Here’s Utopia from Deface the Music, and Everybody Else is Wrong.At the edge of the worldThe sun pouring downWe must be heading homeI completely agreeI've just been waiting for the right words to come alongEverybody else is wrongDoesn't everyone concur, oh noThank you for the vote of confidenceI feel so much surer now thatEverybody else is wrongIn the prime of one's lifeOne must be awareIt's such a weary jobBut I've made up my mindI've just been waiting for the right choice to come alongPlease don't turn out the lightMy pen is on fireThe masterpiece revealedPut your wallets in handIf you've been waiting for the answer to come alongSource: LyricFindSongwriters: John Wilcox / Kasim Sulton / Roger Powell / Todd RundgrenEverybody Else Is Wrong lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Deathwise CATFISH KNIGHT AND THE BLUE EXPRESS (1968)

We don’t know a lot about Catfish Knight and the Blue Express.  Their producer was Angelo DiFrenzo. They released one song in October of 1968 which in part seems to be an homage to the Rolling Stones Paint It Black but maybe that’s because death is in the air.  But then there’s a little Johann Strauss at work here, because, as crazy as it is, it is in a waltz tempo.  I know.  The suspense is killing you.  Fear not, the grim reaper is about to spin.  Catfish Knight and the Blue Express and “Deathwise.”PS: Subscribing to the Professor Mikey Old School Channel on YouTube is a good way to easily share these tunes, especially with friends who don’t want to deal with podcast apps.There are many benefits of subscribing to a YouTube channel, both for the viewers and the creators. Here are some of them:* You can get regular updates on new content from the channels you like. You can also choose to receive notifications whenever a new video is uploaded by turning on the bell icon1. This way, you don’t have to miss any videos from your favorite educational channels.* You can support the creators by helping them grow their channel and reach more audiences. The subscriber count is important for YouTubers as it helps them monetize their channel and get more advertisers2. By subscribing to a channel, you show your appreciation and encouragement to the creator.* You can also interact with the creator and other subscribers by leaving comments, likes, and feedback. This can help you learn more from the videos, ask questions, share your opinions, and join a community of like-minded people.* So, if you enjoy watching educational videos on YouTube, subscribing to the channels you like is a great way to enhance your experience and support the creators.😊There is no such thing as too many subscriptions. To receive new posts and podcasts via email, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.You should subscribe to Professor Mikey’s Old School if you are interested in listening to eclectic joints from the 50s-90s from many genres and many directions. Professor Mikey hosts this educational, underground, pirate radio podcast that features stories, unexpected twists, and themes that transcend1. You can enjoy his indescribably delicious selection of music and learn more about the history and culture behind the songs. You can also interact with him and other subscribers by leaving comments and feedback on his YouTube channel1 or YouTube Music channel2. If you are looking for a unique and entertaining way to discover old school music, Professor Mikey’s Old School is the channel for you.🎶COMING SOON: “POOLSIDE ‘83” This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

I’m Blue (The Gong Gong Song) THE IKETTES (1966)

The Ikettes were the creation of Ike Turner in the early 1960s, the girl group who backed up the Ike and Tina Turner Review.  Ike never paid them much, they never saw any residuals, yet today they are considered one of the more influential R&B girl groups of all time.  Meet Delores Johnson (aka Flora Williams), Eloise Hester, and Joshie Armstead with a song they recorded during JFK’s first year in the white house, 1961.  The Ikettes with I’m Blue, the Gong Gong Song, on Old School.Gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong yeah(I'm blue ue ue ue ue ue ue blue be doo be doo)Gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong yeah)I want to tell a all you people(I dropped a penny in the well wished that you would come back soon)I couldn't believe what I heardI hope her reading was wrong(I hope she was wrong 'cause you been gone too long from home)Hey gong gong gong gong gong gong yeahGong gong gong gong gong gong gong yeah(I'm blue ue ue ue ue ue ue blue be doo be doo be doo)Gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong yeahI can't sleep at night for thinking of you(Every night about 2 my love for you comes tumbling down)I can't stand being here aloneI hope her reading was wrong(I hope she was wrong 'cause you been gone too long from home)Hey gong gong gong gong gong gong yeahHey! gong gong gong gong gong gong yeah(I'm blue ue ue ue ue ue eu blue be doo be doo be doo)Gong gong gong gong gong gong gong gong yeahMm mm mm yeah(I'm blue ue ue ue ue ue ue blue be doo be doo be doo)Gong gong gong gong gong gong gong yeahSource: LyricFindSongwriters: Ike TurnerI'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song) lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Me and My Friend the Cat LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III (1971)

Loudon Wainwright III says the thing that influenced him to become a folksinging humorist was seeing Bob Dylan live at Newport in 1962.  A direct descendant of Peter Stuyvesant, he is the son of the editor of Life Magazine, the former husband of Kate McGarrigle and the father of Martha and Rufus Wainwright, and is one of the inspirations of the Doonesbury character Jimmy Thudpucker.  And he loves his cat..  From his 1971 “Album II,” “My Friend the Cat” from Loudon Wainwright |||Me and my friend the catInto the night we satWe were sitting at speedsKnown only to fewIncredible distance we travelled us toIf only you'd been thereYou'd know what I meanIf only you'd been thereIf only you'd seenFor the Ides of March were upon us thenAnd it's been a year since I didn't know whenMe and my friend the catWell we talked about this, about thatWe were talking in circlesYou would never have guessedThat this was the targetAnd that was the questIf only you'd been thereYou'd know what I meanIf only you'd been thereIf only you'd seenFebruar is over and time marches onYesterday, Yesteryear got up and goneMe and my friend the catWell the two of us chewed the fatWe were chewing togetherThe blubber was bitIt gagged in our throatsOut foamed a fitIf only you'd been thereYou'd know what I meanIf only you'd been thereIf only you'd see n Tomorrow was St Patrick's DayI'm a layman now, I don't have to prayProduced ByMilton Kramer & Loudon Wainwright IIIWritten ByLoudon Wainwright II This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe

Death Cab for Cutie THE BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND (1967)

Chances are future music archaeologists are going to be turned inside out by this one.  But here’s how a song that became better known as a band evolved.  Neil Innis and his English art school buddies formed the Bonzo Dog Dada Band, which became the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band before they just shortened it to the Bonzo Dog Band.  It was the 60s, after all.  They sounded like what Frank Zappa raised in a British music hall.  Paul McCartney heard them, and would produce some of their music under the name Apollo C. Vermouth.  They appeared in the Beatles film Magical Mystery Tour, singing a sleazy striptease song that would inspire another band a few decades down the line.  From their first album “Gorilla” in 1967, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band perform Death Cab for Cutie.That night Cutie called a cab-Baby don't do itShe left her East Side drum so drab-Baby don't do itShe went out on the townKnowing it would make her lover frown-Death cab for Cutie-Death cab for CutieSomeone's going to make you pay your fareThe cab was racing through the night-Baby don't do itHis eyes in the mirror, keeping Cutie in sight-Baby don't do itWhen he saw Cutie it gave him a thrillDon't you know Baby, curves can kill-Death cab for Cutie-Death cab for CutieSomeone's going to make you pay your fareCutie, don't you play with fateDon't leave your lover aloneIf you go out on this dateHis heart will turn to stoneBad girl Cutie, what have you done-Baby don't do itSlipping sliding down Highway 31-Baby don't do itThe traffic lights changed from green to redThey tried to stop but they both wound up dead-Death cab for Cutie-Death cab for CutieSomeone's going to make you pay your fareSomeone's going to make you pay your fareSomeone's going to make you pay your fareSomeone's going to make you pay your fareSource: LyricFindSongwriters: Neil Innes / Vivian StanshallDeath Cab for Cutie (2007 Remaster) lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Wixen Music Publishing This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit professormikey.substack.com/subscribe