WHERE'S OUR ROCKET PACKS?

 

Rich here. For those of us who grew up watching "Rocket Man" movie serials on Saturday afternoon TV, we felt that a certain promise was implicit -- in The Future, we would all have jet packs we could strap to our back, and fly. 

 

Once the Space Age started in earnest in the early Sixties we felt that if The Future had not quite arrived just yet, it was coming soon. But except for a scene in a James Bond film (1965's "Thunderball"), no rocket packs emerged in the Sixties. Nor in the Seventies. 

 

By the Eighties, the grumbling started: "Where's our rocket packs?" But and now here it is, over a quarter-century since the new Millennium began, and we still have no rocket packs. 

 

Hasn't the Future arrived, yet? 

 

Thanks to the Eighties alternative band Daniel Amos for asking the question that's been on our minds for 40 years now.

DANIEL AMOS - "(It’s The Eighties So Where's Our) Rocket Packs"

THE SINISTER CLEANERS - "Goodbye Ms Jones" (1986)

 

I've had this EP by The Sinister Cleaners titled "Goodbye Ms Jones" for a couple of decades, and I've never understood why this band from Leeds, UK was not more popular.

The lead song off of this four tune EP is a good one, and I think it should have been a hit for them.

In my world, this is classic and vintage 1986! 

THE SINISTER CLEANERS - "I'll Never Forget This"

JAMES WHITE AND THE BLACKS - "Off White" (1979)

 

What's not to like about this 1979 album by James White And The Blacks? Well, basically nothing, that's for sure.

I probably should have presented the song "Contort Yourself," but you can look that up easily enough yourself.

This was a great group of musicians, and when you can do a better version of a classic song done by Marilyn Monroe, then I'd say that's quite an accomplishment, and James White And The Blacks easily pull it off.

And besides, it's absolutely true, we are having a heat wave, mentally, physically and every other way that you can possibly think of! 

47 years later, and James White's got as good of an explanation as anyone! 

 JAMES WHITE AND THE BLACKS - "(Tropical) Heat Wave" 

EYES - "Topological Lies" (1979)

 

Eyes, or The Eyes were a Los Angeles based punk band that recorded in 1979. Their only other release was an EP that included two other bands, The Controllers, and The Skulls.

The A side of this single was "TAQN," or "Take A Quaalude Now."

I actually prefer the flip side, mostly because I like the impressive title.

EYES - "Topological Lies" 

FIREWATER - "The Man On The Burning Tightrope" (2003)

 

This 2003 release from NY band Firewater is all over the place. The pundits might say you need to develop a style, but I'm much more in favor of go ahead and explore all styles, and that's what Firewater does.

Firewater is basically Todd Ashley, aka Tod A as singer, songwriter, and bassist through a few incarnations. Other members have come and gone.

It's been 13 years since their last album, I'm still hopin' for more in the future 

FIREWATER - "Too Much (Is Never Enough)" 

PHIL HARVEY - "Bumpershoot" (1959)

 

A big part of why I do this is blog is because I'm always looking to learn more about the history of music. There's just no way to know everything, and there is always something old that's new if you just look around!

And that's what brings us to this song called "Bumpershoot," an instrumental from 1959 by an unknown guy named Phil Harvey, but the trick is, Phil Harvey is not unknown by any means, and is actually one of the most prominent figures in the history of Rock and Roll.

Phil Harvey's real name is Harvey Phillip Spector, aka the record producing madman Phil Spector. 

Who knew, certainly not me! 

And just in case you don't know who Phil Spector is, read this entry about him on Wikipedia, it should only take about 30 minutes. That's how grandiose and outlandish he was.

PHIL HARVEY - "Bumpershoot" 

THE ISLEY BROTHERS -"Nobody But Me" (1962)

 

The Isley Brothers are royalty of Rock & Roll no doubt, and "Twist & Shout," later covered by The Beatles was their first success story by reaching the Top 20 on the charts in 1962, but unfortunately for them, they didn't write that song, so all the money went to the writer Bert Berns.

After that, they released this killer song, "Nobody But Me," but it failed to chart. 

THE ISLEY BROTHERS - "Nobody But Me" 

 

In 1968, The Human Beinz from Youngstown, Ohio did a cover version of "Nobody But Me," that made it to number eight on the charts.

This song was written by The Isley Brothers, so they finally made some good money. 

This version has the notoriety of being the most negative song to ever make the top ten, as the word "No" is repeated over a hundred times.

THE HUMAN BEINZ - "Nobody But Me"