Author: Retroguy

Retro Video of the Day – Baby Don’t Forget My Number

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The buzz that surrounded the sudden emergence of German dance group Milli Vanilli back in the late 80s was huge. Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus, the faces (notice I didn’t say lead singers) behind Milli Vanilli took the dance floors by storm when they dropped an album out of nowhere that spawned a number of hits, massive international sales, numerous American Music Awards and a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1990.

For a couple of guys who just won a Grammy – they don’t look too thrilled.
Then it all imploded when it was revealed that they didn’t actually have anything to do with the creation of the album nor did they sing a single note on any of the songs either in the studio or live. When producer Frank Farian put the project together, the original group lacked what he felt was a marketable image so he found Rob and Fab to front the group in videos not realizing the huge success that would come and the demand for live performances that followed.

During a “concert”, their equipment failed which revealed they had been lip synching the whole time and their critics pounced on the issue and escalated it to the point where their Grammys were revoked and their record label not only dumped them but deleted the album and the masters from their catalog forcing the album out of print.

They attempted a few comebacks with them actually singing but they never achieved the same success. On the eve of the release of their final attempt at a comeback album that used the original Milli Vanilli singers as backup, Rob Pilatus was found dead in a hotel room as a result of a drug overdose. A problem he picked up after the scandal broke. Fab went on to be a radio DJ and even released a solo album but never achieved the same level of success or fame.

The original unmarketable Milli Vanilli


Interesting note – Frank Farian, the producer that was responsible for the whole mess has over 800 gold records and is responsible for some very successful German dance acts like La Bouche and Le Click as well as No Mercy and produced a Meatloaf album. He was also the guy behind the success of Boney M in the 80s.

The video may not prove they couldn’t sing, but they sure couldn’t dance either!

Retro Classic Bonus!


Is it me or does it look like they’re lip synching? (Just sayin’…..)

Movie Rolls That Could Have Been

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When you think of certain roles in classic films, there are actors that take the role and truly make it their own for all time. You watch the film and you can’t imagine any other actor in that role because they just seemed to have nailed the character in every way and have in many cases made the character an icon who no other can portray.

Here are a few examples of casting attempts that almost changed some iconic characters in American cinema.


Al Pacino – His body of work is impressive and second to none. He’s brought to life some classic characters in his career such as Michael Corleone in the Godfather, Tony Montana from Scarface and Colonel Frank Slade in Scent of a Woman to name a few. He was also offered, and turned down the lead roles in Pretty Woman, Crimson Tide and the part of Han Solo in a little movie that came to be known as Star Wars. “Here they come Chewie – Hoo Haaa!”

Gene Hackman – One of the most versatile character actors working in film today, Gene can do it all from drama, thrillers, comedy and has brought many memorable characters to life on the big screen. In the 70s, Gene was offered a role on the small screen for a new sitcom that was in development. Although he considered it, he eventually turned down the role of Mike Brady on the Brady Bunch.
Marie Osmond – One half of the most successful brother and sister duo acts, Marie Osmond had quite the fan base in the late 70s and early 80s prompting producers to offer her the lead role of Sandy in the original Grease movie. Marie turned the role down on moral grounds. She of course went on to be a regular performer in Las Vegas – a city known for it’s high morality. Go figure.

Clint Eastwood – Clint brought the role of Dirty Harry Calahan to life on the big screen and gave the character the grit and attitude the role demanded. Before he was cast for the role, it was offered and turned down by John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman. It was Paul’s idea to suggest Clint to the producers after he turned the role down. I guess he made Clint’s day. (Sorry I couldn’t resist that one)
Jodie Foster – No doubt Jodie Foster is not only a beautiful woman but an accomplished actress with many credits to her name. One of her most famous roles was Clarisse in Silence of the Lambs though she only got it after it was turned down by Michelle Pfeiffer. She was also offered the role made famous by Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct but turned it down obviously.

Chris O’Donnell – Chris had no problem accepting the role of Robin for one of the Batman movies that basically sucked and hurt his career to this day. He did give up a role in another movie that he thought would hurt his career although the man it went to had no regrets. Will Smith had no problem putting on the dark suit and sunglasses in Men In Black that Chris had turned down.

Kevin Spacey – American Beauty was a role that earned Kevin Spacey an Academy Award for leading man. It’s interesting to wonder if the award would have been given to one of the other actors the role was offered to first. They were Chevy Chase and Tom Hanks.

Tom could probably have pulled it off though Chevy would have likely ruined the film and it would have taken on a more “Vacation”ish vibe. What a difference good casting makes!

Woodstock Dropouts – Bands That Said No and Probably Regretted It

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Much has been written about the “Three days of Peace and Music” that took place on a 600 acre dairy farm just north of Bethel, New York. The Woodstock Music Festival took place 40 years ago this past weekend, and as the saying goes, if you remember it – then you weren’t there.

Rolling Stone listed it as one of the 50 Moments That Changed Rock and Roll and for good reason. The lineup was a who’s who of the best artists of the day with 32 acts performing in front of over 300,000 people. The movie and soundtrack of the event went on to be top sellers and some artists credit their success to their appearance at the event.

What isn’t really talked about are some of the big names that decided not to appear at the event for various reasons. Some didn’t really suffer much in terms of their own success but in some cases, it may have been exposure that could have taken them to the next level. Let’s look at some of these acts:


Led Zeppelin – Their manager refused since they’d be sharing the spotlight with so many other acts. Instead they played a few concerts in Toronto on the fourth day of Woodstock.




The Beatles – Too busy putting the finishing touches to an album you may have heard of – Abbey Road.




The Rolling Stones – Mick was busy filming a movie in Australia and Keith Richard’s wife had a baby that week.




The Doors – Jim Morrison bailed at the least minute because he wasn’t a big fan of the big festival type gigs.




Tommy James and the Shondelles – They were in Hawaii at the time and could have made it to the gig but they weren’t properly told what the event was all about. They thought it was a small gig on a pig farm.




Bob Dylan – One of his children got sick so he opted out.




Joni Mitchell – Even though she went on to write an epic song about the event, she never actually played or attended the event thanks to her agent telling her it would be a better career move to be on the Dick Cavett Show. People still talk about Woodstock. Dick Cavett – not so much.



Others that didn’t make the gig for one reason or another include Frank Zappa, Procul Harem, Jeff Beck, The Byrds, Iron Butterfly, Jethro Tull and the Moody Blues. One of the strangest acts to refuse to play was Roy Rogers. The organizers wanted him to end the festival by singing his trademark “Happy Trails” but apparently his manager didn’t think it would be a great idea. Good call.

Here’s what that may have looked and sounded like. Imagine a bunch of stoned hippies rocking out to this:



Father of Electric Guitar Les Paul Dies (1915-2009)

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It’s a sad day for guitar players and recording artists with the passing of one of the originators of the hard body electric guitar. He was Lester William Polsfuss but musicians around the world knew him as Les Paul. He considered himself an inventor first and a musician second though he was an exceptional guitar player. In fact, he actually taught himself to play the guitar in order to experiment with some of his theories on converting an acoustic guitar into what we now know as the electric guitar. He became one of the most respected and innovative guitar players with many of the greatest guitarists citing him as a major inspiration.

Some other innovations Les Paul gave the world include multi-track recording, overdubbing, delay and phasing effects and also created some original guitar playing techniques used to this very day. He’s inspired generations of musicians and many fine guitars still bear his name to this day while some of the earlier models are in the prized possessions of many famous artists who won’t be parting with them anytime soon. Here’s what a few of them had to say about Les Paul:

“Les Paul was a shining example of how full one’s life can be, he was so vibrant and full of positive energy. I’m honored and humbled to have known and played with him over the years, he was an exceptionally brilliant man.” — Slash

“Les is single handedly responsible for the direction and evolution of the modern rock movement. Period. If you are a fan of modern music, you owe Les Paul an enormous THANK YOU!” – Dave Navarro

“He was a genius inventor, musical innovator, and a wonderful person. Without the advances he pioneered, the recording sciences and the electric guitar would have been left years behind. I will miss him so much.” — Joan Jett

“The music industry has lost a giant! I’m very saddened by the news of Les Paul’s passing. I was lucky enough to have known Les as a friend, and admired him as a musician and innovator. He forever changed the way we listen to music.” — Ace Frehley

Here are a few examples of his work from the man himself and a few of his many admirers:

Retro Video of the Day – You Sexy Thing

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What better way to start off a Friday morning than digging deep into the retro archives? Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” was actually released as a “B” side to another song you probably never heard of – “Blue Night” since the producer didn’t think it had hit potential. Further proof that anyone could make it in the music business back then.

You Sexy Thing reached number 2 in the UK charts in 1975 and number 3 in the U.S. a year later. It’s enjoyed a resurgence in recent years thanks to a cover version by Dee-Lite and also being featured in “The Full Monty” in 1997 which prompted the song to chart again. In fact, it is the only song in the UK to enter the charts in the 70s, 80s and 1990s. Not even Elvis or the Beatles did that.

Vintage Ads From A Simpler Time – That Are Sexist As Hell

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In a previous post we covered retro ads from a simpler time that were among the creepiest I’ve ever seen. (Click here to see that post) Let’s now take a look at some ads that were done in a time when it was considered a man’s world and women were here only to serve men, be a perfect wife, do all the house work, try not to do stupid things and always be fresh and pretty regardless of what they were doing.

We all know that not only does such a Utopia not exist (I’m kidding ladies) but in retrospect, the people behind the creative direction of these ads really missed the mark not only conceptually but the ad wording (or copy in technical terms) is just plain awful. Clearly, these ads were designed by men, written by men, sold by men and bought by men.

“Husbands admire wives who keep their stockings perfect.” I love how this ad implies that being married is no reason for a woman to let herself go and should always look her best. Especially since the guy took the trouble to put on a suit and tie to read the paper while she knits. What’s going through his mind? “What’s this? A run in Jane’s stockings? Could I have married the wrong woman?!? How many more years before divorce becomes an acceptable society norm?!?!?”

You really don’t need to read beyond the lead line to know where this ad is going. The copy goes on to say that the beauty photographed in the picture is “stacked and endowed” with the most refined developments for culinary perfection. I’ll bet it is. Of course they are talking about the appliance but the double play on words is typical for the ads in the late 60s and early 70s.
So to recap, in the 70s, cooking was what wives were for………and they better not have a run in their stockings while they are cooking and whatever they knit better not be in weird colors damn it!

Forget Victoria’s Secret or a day at the spa – if you want your woman to look better, simply give her more to do around the house. Oh, she also needs vitamins apparently.

Thank god Delmonte made a ketchup bottle that woman could open when their men weren’t around. Although how the heck is she supposed to open the mustard and relish? Were women condemned to have ketchup as the only condiment option when their men weren’t around? The woman in the ad looks so shocked and thrilled she’s liable to start putting ketchup on everything. Why? Because she can!!!!!

Apparently men were too stupid to operate Telex machines back in the day but they sure knew how to hire sweet operators. By the way, the price for the glorified word processor in the picture started at $6800. To contrast, I’m pretty sure my toaster has more processing power and it only cost $28 and it wasn’t even a sale!

Newflash – if you have 14 fingernails, a dirty oven is the least of your concerns. You’ll never get people to stop staring and good luck finding a decent pair of gloves. Also note the puke green color of the oven that was actually a very popular color for appliances at one time. Although I think they called it something nicer than puke green. Having said that, judging by the content of these ads, you never know.

Classic Retro Wendy’s Ads

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The late, great Dave Thomas created the Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers franchise (who knew old fashioned hamburgers were square!?!) after making a name for himself with Kentucky Fried Chicken. Working with Colonel Sanders himself, Dave was responsible for trimming down the menu offerings, and focusing the restaurant on specializing on chicken and turned the business into one of the most successful fast food franchises in the world.

Taking what he learned with KFC, he poured all his energy into making Wendy’s (named after his daughter) more than just a pain in McDonald’s and Burger King’s side. It was because of him that other fast food restaurants had to change certain processes and begin offering certain things that were never done before, like the larger sized portions (yeah – thanks for that Dave), salads and the super value menu.

The real Wendy (Melinda actually)


Wendy’s was also pretty creative in the marketing department as well. Before Dave became the spokesman and created over 800 ads featuring himself, the company took some risks to get noticed in the burger wars. Let’s look at two of these ads.

One ad that raised a few eyebrows was an ad that was set in Soviet era, cold war Russia. The ad showed a Russian fashion show where the woman of generous proportions paraded in the same outfit with only quirky accessories to distinguish evening wear from day wear. This hammered home the point that Wendy’s was all about choice, unlike what Russians had to endure supposedly. This was done before the age of political correctness and before the Berlin wall came down but it’s interesting to note that an ad like this would never see the light of day today.




The other ad gave birth to an 80s catch phrase from the most unlikely of sources. In 1984, Clara Peller ensured her place in the retro hall of fame with the phrase “Where’s the beef?” The ad campaign, featuring the 80 year old, was one of the driving factors behind Wendy’s turnaround and helped make the brand a force not to be ignored by the larger chains. Interesting side note on Clara, she was fired by Wendy’s as their unofficial spokesperson after she made a commercial for a spaghetti sauce featuring the now famous phrase. I hope she didn’t spend all the Wendy’s cash in one place or finding the beef would be alot harder.

Retro Video of the Day – Blind Vision

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There are many bands that truly embody the 80s electro-synth sound and Blancmange would have to be high on that list. Riding the wave of the 80s electro revolution, Blancemange was growing in popularity alongside the likes of Depeche Mode, Ultravox, Soft Cell and other bands forging a new sound for the decade.

Although their first real major hit was “Living on the Ceiling”, they did have some other decent songs that charted fairly well. “Blind Vision” reached number 10 in the UK in 1983 thanks in part to this creepy video. The group recently reformed and are working on new material for a new album.

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Retro Arcade Game of the Day – Pac Man

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One of the all time greatest arcade classics, Pac Man brought the video games out of the arcades and into the public consciousness. Even though it was critically not well received, it was the hottest selling game for the Atari 2600 and one of the biggest games in terms of revenues at the arcade for it’s time.

The simple game play yet challenging levels meant hours of fun for people of all ages and was simple enough for anyone to play. Here it is again in the original arcade version. Just click start to begin and use the arrow keys to control the little yellow quarter bandido.

arcade

Retro Video of the Day – Can You Feel It

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When they were known as the Jackson 5 signed with Motown, Michael Jackson and his brothers only received less that 3% of the Royalties so when they made the jump to CBS, papa Joes made sure the boys received a massive 20% which obviously changed quite a few things for the now renamed Jacksons and their family.

Even with the success of albums like Destiny and Triumph, Michael still cranked out solo work that outsold the Jackson’s work by a significant amount. When Thriller was released, instead of going on tour to promote the album, he rejoined his brothers for the Victory tour which meant if you wanted to see Michael doing Billie Jean, you had to go see the Jacksons.

“Can You Feel It” was released from the Triumph album in 1981 and charted well in many countries reaching number one on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart until Cool and the Gang pushed them off with their monster hit, “Celebration”. The video was voted one of the Top 100 videos of all time in 2001 for MTV’s 20th Anniversary.