Retro Mixtape of Love – A Cassette Retrospective

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Ever find yourself getting upset that your current mp3 player can only hold 1200 songs or that the battery is only good for about three days on a single charge? I can’t say that I feel your pain. Reason is I grew up before we starting storing our songs on memory chips. Back in the 70s, 80s and better part of the 90s, society had to get by with the cassette tape.

This miracle that followed the 8-track and reel to reel concept allowed people to record their vinyl albums and put only the songs they really wanted all onto one handy, dandy portable medium just slightly larger than a cigarette pack. That was pretty tiny in those days. You could record up to 120 minutes of your favorite tunes on one single cassette. It allowed you to create the perfect blend of tunes to keep that party going or to offer up as a token of your love to that special someone with groovy titles like, “Midnight Love Mix Pt1” or “Fantasy Voyage of Love”.
With the proliferation of audio cassettes came the boom box craze that saw all kinds of spikes in battery usage and weird sights like the one below. All you needed to be cool in the 80s was a big ass radio. Well…. it was a good start.
Eventually the good folks at Sony realized that a personal sized cassette player would use less batteries, be easier to carry and be less of an annoyance in your daily commute. The Sony Walkman was born and ushered in a whole new category in the electronics stores – the personal music player. Since then the quest to go smaller and pack more music per square inch has never stopped and it changed not only how we listen to music but how it’s marketing, sold and distributed.
For a more detailed nostalgic look at the audio cassette in society, click the cool Walkman below:

Retro Video of the Day – Twilight Zone

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Today we got a double shot for you with two songs with the same title but vastly different styles yet both are extremely cool tracks and ooze retro with every note.
First up is Twilight Zone by Golden Earring which was a hit in 1982 and had pretty heavy rotation on all the video music channels back when they actually played videos…….those were good days. It reached number 1 in the US Billboards Top Tracks and number 10 on the Hot 100.

The second Twilight Zone comes from Two Unlimited and was released ten years later and also got heavy rotation on the video channels. The song is pretty much the opposite side of the spectrum to the Golden Earring version yet was a big hit in many countries and became a workout staple due to the very catchy high energy hook. It made it to number 5 on the U.S. Billboards Hot Club Play charts and only 49 on the Top 100.

So what’s the connection? They are both Dutch groups. Enjoy.

R.I.P Corey Haim (1971 – 2010)

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Canadian born actor Corey Haim was found dead today in his mother’s apartment in Oakwood, California of an apparent prescription drug overdose. Wow this blog is really turning into a retro obituary column but it really sucks when you’re writing about someone who didn’t need to die.

Corey Haim was one of the two Corey’s, who along with fellow child star Corey Feldman, starred in many films in the 80s and early 90s like The Lost Boys, License To Drive, Murphy’s Romance, Dream a Little Dream and Lucas. He later became a reality TV star on A&E with Corey Feldman in “The Two Corey’s” as the show chronicled the comeback attempt of both Coreys. Tragically it only showcased the spiraling descent that eventually claimed Corey Haim’s life.

Corey’s Full Page Ad in Variety Magazine Feb 2008


Although he was working, none of the films or appearances were able to recapture the fame that his early career brought at a young age. This is what kept him turning to drugs both illegal and eventually prescription.

This is sad and senseless. In this day and age, there is ample proof that drugs are bad and NEVER result in a positive and healthy outcome. There is help, there is treatment and there are alternatives. Not to sound preachy, but if you are an addict – get help. Just ask for it. The other lesson here of course is if you are a young actor that find early success, don’t give up on studying for a fall back option in the event your career comes to a screeching halt. It happens far too often and the aftermath is never pretty.

Here’s a look at some of Corey Haim’s work during happier times.

The Way They Was (Part 2)

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In part one of this series (Click here to go to Part 1) we looked at how a few celebrities looked in their younger years before they made it big. It was kind of inspiring since it was obvious that most were pretty average looking and evolved into the glitterazzi we all know and love today.

This batch is no different except we threw in a few that were pretty bright eyed and fresh looking in their youth before being run over by the steamroller known as age. Once again it is inspiring to know that celebrities are just like us. Enjoy.

John Travolta


Growing up in the 70s, who didn’t want to be John Travolta? Growing up in the 2000’s nobody wants to be John Travolta. Okay that was a bit harsh……. he’s still cool and takes on pretty daring roles. Gotta love Barbarino.

Terry Hatcher

I’m still amazed she was actually a Bond girl. She’s looking pretty thin lately – a bit too thin which tends to be a wee bit off putting but she still has her moments on Desperate Housewives where she’s almost attractive…….almost.

Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle is stunning and was pretty darn cute when she was younger as well. She had that all American girl look and grew up to be one of the sexiest Hollywood villains ever. She is Catwoman. Grrrooowl! (I digress)
Madonna
I’d say something bad about her except for two things – first, she kind of scares me and could probably take me in a fight (look at those biceps!) and secondly she’s still freakin’ awesome. Her body of work (and body) have pretty much spoken for themselves over the years but she could skip a few workouts and pop a couple of glazed donuts once in a while.
George Clooney
Wow – what to say? George is the embodiment of every bad grade school picture ever taken but thankfully that picture provides hope for the countless size 8 bowl haircut wearing geeks everywhere – you too can grow up to look like George Clooney……..though not likely.

Retro Video of the Day – Gold

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Sadly the Vancouver winter Olympics are over and there’s nothing left to do but count the cash and clean up the mess. I do have to say that the whole event ran pretty smooth with the exception of a few technical glitches, lack of snow and a couple of deaths – other than that, it was mint.

Seriously though it was sad to see a young athlete lose his life though it was while doing something he loved – how many of us will be lucky to die doing something we love? As a tribute to him and all the athletes who competed, here’s a retro classic from 1983 by Spandau Ballet that takes it’s title from the one thing everyone strives for during the Olympics – Gold.

R.I.P. Doug Fieger from The Knack (1952-2010)

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It’s a sad day in Retroville with the news of the passing of Doug Fieger, the American lead singer of new wave group The Knack and the co-writer of the number one track from 1979 “My Sharona” after a six year battle with cancer. Doug died on Valentine’s day.


Doug formed the band with three other musicians in 1978 after a few failed attempts at having a successful band. The Knack teamed up with producer Mike Chapman who was responsible for some hits by Blondie, Nick Gilder and Exile. They cut all the tracks for their first album in pretty much one take and that was what gave the album that energetic live feel. The whole album was done and ready to press in eleven days at a total cost of $18,000. It was one of the cheapest albums to ever go Platinum. It went gold just thirteen days after its release.

Their biggest hit was the catchy if not annoying My Sharona from their first album. It spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard’s Hot 100 in the U.S. while the album spent five weeks at number one.

Rather than giving you My Sharona which you’ve heard atleast three thousand times, here’s one of their followup hits that isn’t as well known but still pretty cool.

Retro Super Bowl Ad Collection

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It’s Super Bowl time again and that can mean only one thing for some – salty snacks, meat, lots of booze and a huge helping of football being played for all the marbles. For others it simply means cool and innovative television ads interrupted by a bunch of guys chasing a ball on a field.

Regardless which side of the fence (field?) you’re on, you can’t deny the creative display put on each year during the Super Bowl which this year costs a whopping $3 Million U.S. per spot. Unbelievable. Companies are banking on the exposure the commercial receives and possible buzz it generates will hopefully translate into money well spent.


For a look back at the last 38 years of Super Bowl ads, click the picture of the smirking quarterback below to go to a site dedicated to showcasing some of the best television ads ever produced for Super Sunday. (Hate to say it but I think this guy will be smirking again this coming Sunday – sorry Saints, I’m rooting for you though!)

Retro Funk Double Shot of the Day

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After a hard week of school or navigating through cubicle hell, it’s nice to know you can reach back to the classics of a simpler time to get you into the right mood for the coming weekend. Allow me to create that mood for you right now.

First up, Rene & Angela’s “I’ll Be Good” which is the embodiment of all things good about 80’s R&B. Released in 1985 by this former husband and wife duo, it peaked and number 4 on the U.S. R&B charts but remains one of my prized possessions on pristine 12″ vinyl.

Next up is a classic from 1979 by the Brothers Johnson. This band was made up of a bunch of brothers and a cousin who had originally played for the likes of Billy Preston, The Supremes and were Quincy Jones main go to guys for a time.

“Stomp” was released in 1979 and shot to number 1 on both the U.S. Dance and R&B charts. The group had an on again off again relationship over the years and still perform from time to time and recently teamed up for a tour with Ray “Ghostbuster” Parker JR and Cherrelle. Interesting note, Louis Johnson played bass on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album – I told you they were Quincy’s go to guys didn’t I?

Retro Arcade Game of the Day – Duck Hunt

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Many modern video games today center around blasting the bajeezus out of some poor soul, be it human or zombie. Back in 1984, Nintendo released Duck Hunt that had players blasting the bajeezus out of ducks. Same bajeezus, different targets.

Duck Hunt was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and players used a NES Zapper which was basically a light rifle. Ducks appeared one or two at a time and players shot them for points and the admiration of their faithful canine which for some reason was officially nameless. They name plumbers, hedgehogs, ghosts, goblins and countless other mind numbingly dumb characters but a cute dog with an annoying laugh……….nada. Can’t think of a thing. I’m sure nobody noticed. Players also had the option of shooting clay pigeons in another mode that got increasingly difficult as you moved up the levels.

Today’s retro arcade classic won’t be a popular one amongst PETA pals though I can say no video ducks were actually hurt during the making or playing of this game. Enjoy.


arcade

Retro Gaming Console History Link

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If you’ve ever argued with a friend about what gaming console came out first, the Atari 2600, the Odyssey 200 or the Intellivision, you’re either a true hardcore gamer or have waaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands.

Either way, no need to argue any longer. Click the pic of the bitchin’ PacMan ring to see the definitive collection of all gaming consoles from the original Odyssey to the Nintendo Wii. Click the console of your choice for a quick overview and details.

Amazing how far we’ve come. Hard to believe there was a time when you had to tape color foils over your black and white TV to get a color burst to add more excitement while you played your games leaving gummy residue all over the screen which all parents loved. Now, all you have to do is reach for your phone to play in full color with people from around the world.

You young’uns have all the neat toys.