Rather Rare Records • A Blog For Those Who Never Gave Up Their Turntables

three nights three movies

October 12, 2023September 24, 2014 by Neal Umphred

Just wanted to recommend a trio of movies connected by gorgeous music to enjoy on a trio of nights, preferably one after the other. These are not movie reviews, merely recommendations: three nights three movies excellent music . . .

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgZjaxrnlPc]

First night: Mao’s Last Dancer is an Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford (2009) and based on dancer Li Cunxin’s autobiography of the same title. [Read more] “three nights three movies”

Byrds YoungerThanYesterday header 1400 orange

the byrds’ mind gardens and outrageous fortunes

October 12, 2023September 17, 2014 by Neal Umphred

MIND GARDENS, one of David Crosby’s contributions to the Byrds’ legacy, has been a bone of contention among fans since its release on the YOUNGER THAN YESTERDAY album in 1967. Actually, using that euphemism is inaccurate: almost everyone has something negative to say about the recording—the lyrics, the singing, the music. [Read more] “the byrds’ mind gardens and outrageous fortunes”

and we’ve got to text ourselves back to the garden

October 12, 2023September 14, 2014 by Neal Umphred

AT THE WOODSTOCK Music & Art Fair in 1969 we all back to the garden (and the mud puddle). Just the name conjures images in millions of people’s minds—regardless-of age—of youth innocence joy music color summer even of endless horizons and possibilities. And one-on-one person-with-person intimacy being here now intimacy grokking the moment. [Read more] “and we’ve got to text ourselves back to the garden”

fake autographed rock memorabilia sold at charity fundraisers

October 12, 2023September 9, 2014 by Neal Umphred

FAKE AUTOGRAPHS on rock & roll memorabilia being sold at charity fundraisers sounds like the act of a misanthrope or even a sociopath more. Cheating folk who are spending money knowing that it will go to help others is rather dastardly. And yet, huge sums of money are being spent on forgeries every day! [Read more] “fake autographed rock memorabilia sold at charity fundraisers”

rock music videos of the sixties – 1964: the moody blues’ “go now” as the first modern rock video

October 12, 2023August 23, 2014 by Neal Umphred

THERE ARE LOADS OF STUFF on the Internet about the Moody Blues, the super-successful, much beloved group fabgear pop-rock that critics just can’t seem to stop hating! Yet there is almost nothing on the origins of the group’s first music video for their Go Now single of 1964. A piece [Read more] “rock music videos of the sixties – 1964: the moody blues’ “go now” as the first modern rock video”

rock music videos of the sixties 1 (introduction)

October 12, 2023August 7, 2014 by Neal Umphred

WAY BACK ON JULY 31, 2014, Bill Tobelman of Good Humor Smile fame (if not fortune) posted a link to a promotional video that the Troggs had made for their single Love Is All Around in 1966 on his Facebook page. He noted that this was “Another cool promo film from these guys.” [Read more] “rock music videos of the sixties 1 (introduction)”

video did not kill no radio stars (they was already mostly dead anyways)

October 12, 2023August 4, 2014 by Neal Umphred

WAY BACK IN 1979, nerdish singer Trevor Horn and his band Buggles released single titled Video Killed The Radio Star. (It had been recorded earlier by Bruce Woolley and Camera Club.) The song’s theme was promotion of technology while worrying about its effects. This song relates to concerns about mixed attitudes towards 20thcentury inventions and machines for the media arts. [Read more] “video did not kill no radio stars (they was already mostly dead anyways)”

a whiter shade of pale in some spectacular ruins

October 12, 2023August 3, 2014 by Neal Umphred

PROCOL HARUM MADE A VIDEO of their worldwide hit A Whiter Shade Of Pale in 1967. It was shot in some spectacular ruins in Witley Court in Worcestershire, England, once one of the great houses of the Midlands, but by then a spectacular ruin devastated by fire thirty years earlier. [Read more] “a whiter shade of pale in some spectacular ruins”

let’s all hully gully with pussycat a go-go!

October 12, 2023August 3, 2014 by Neal Umphred

SCOPITONE IS A TYPE OF JUKEBOX featuring a musical and visual performance on 16-millimeter film. The first Scopitone films were made in France by Cameca, among them was Serge Gainsbourg’s Le Poinçonneur Des Lilas filmed in 1958. Scopitones spread to West Germany, and went on to appear in bars in England, where the Tornados’ Telstar was a favorite, vying with such local huts as Pussycat A Go-Go! [Read more] “let’s all hully gully with pussycat a go-go!”