Alright, this week, as I was thinking of the year, 1968, I found myself thinking, “Seems like we had many big things happen, in the news, that year.”
So, I looked it up:
January 30–Vietnam War: The Tet Offensive begins as Viet Cong forces launch a series of surprise attacks across South Vietnam.
If you go to the link, you will see many, many events, in the war in Vietnam, all through that year.
- Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King Jr. is shot dead at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. King-assassination riots erupt in major American cities, lasting for several days afterwards.
June 5–Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Sirhan Sirhan is arrested.
- 1968 United States presidential election: Republican candidate Richard Nixon defeats the Democratic candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and American Independent Party candidate George Wallace
December 24–Apollo program: The crewed U.S. spacecraft Apollo 8 enters orbit around the Moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders become the first humans to see the far side of the Moon and planet Earth as a whole, as well as having traveled further away from Earth than any people in history. Anders photographs Earthrise. The crew also give a reading from the Book of Genesis.
Wow, big news, indeed.
The assassinations of King and Kennedy were awful, Vietnam was awful, and, because this site is all about Democrats, we are supposed to say the election of Nixon was awful. My wife, who died in March of this year, was a Black woman, so, the “southern strategy,” of luring white supremacy Dixiecrats, to switch parties, and vote for Republicans, and for Nixon, that was a serious problem, and still is.
But:
Who signed into law, the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health administration, to reduce injury and death, in the American workplace?
Nixon.
Who signed into law, the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, to reduce the massive dumping of toxic chemicals, into the air, the water, and the soil?
Nixon.
Who actually gave the order, to pull out of the awful war in Vietnam, similar to Biden pulling out of Afghanistan?
Nixon.
But, that last news item I posted, about Apollo 8, was magical:
On Christmas Eve, we all got to see the planet Earth, from the far side of the Moon.
Wow.
Okay, time for the music:
Number 98:
Hey, back then, I did not think of it, but, sounds like a man who is willing to try different positions!
Ha!
Number 97:
Ahhh, so nice, so mellow. CCR was great.
Number 96:
There was, and is, nothing like classic Janis Joplin.
Number 95:
I almost left this out, but, it’s a classic.
Number 94:
Such an energetic soul classic.
Number 93:
Such a sweet love song.
Number 91:
Silly novelty song, but, unique, and unforgettable.
Number 90:
I am familiar with that phrase, but, I think this is the first time I actually heard the song, and tried to listen to the lyrics. All about, Black Power, Black Lives Matter. Still relevant, still needs to be said.
Number 89:
So smooth, so pretty. And, with cooking advice: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. When I was working at a Walmart garden center, we sold some of those spices, in plants, you could take home, and grow your own.
Number 88:
I truly like the lyrics to this:
LA is a great big freeway
Put a hundred down and buy a car
In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star
Weeks turn into years, how quick they pass
And all the stars that never were
Are parking cars and pumping gas
Oh, yes, parking cars and pumping gas.
Number 87:
There may be another hippie song, that’s more of a classic hippie song, but, if so, this is a close second.
Classic hippie song. Love it.
Number 86:
Okay, I am having trouble, finding any songs to leave out. This one is not a smash hit, but, it has such a nice, easy going style.
Number 82:
Oh, yes! This made me cry, so loving, so sweet, such a great duet.
Number 81:
More hippie songs!
Number 80:
Easy, fun, pop tune.
Number 79:
Classic crooner style tune. Makes me think of Tom Jones, maybe.
Number 78:
This is the only song, as far as I know, with this message:
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're all doing what we canBut if you want money for people with minds that hate
All I can tell you is brother you have to wait
Okay, as I asked myself, if there is another song like this, my brain brought up this one:
Food for thought, from a different year, not 1968.
Okay, I looked it up, and it was released in 1967.
Did I fail to post it last week?
Was it even in the top 100?
Anyway, moving on:
Number 77:
Okay, that sounds familiar. But, I recall the Motown sound:
Okay, this was released, in 1966. Did I post it, two weeks ago? Well, if so, here it is again.
Number 76:
Okay, in the Family Circus comic strip, just the other day, the little boy said, “Shouldn’t it be called, a uni horn?”
Anyway, The Irish Rovers, had a great style. Fun little novelty song.
Number 75:
I do not recall ever hearing this song before. And, I do not like the song, itself, very much.
But, Stevie Wonder is so darned good at his craft, that with him, singing the song, and doing the keyboard riffs, he fills the song with nice moments, any old way.
Number 74:
Oh, yes! So smooth. Young love, so full of passion. I wonder if any young folks, nowadays, are looking into the treasure troves of the past, for love songs, to go along with their young love, now, in 2022?
Number 73:
Yes! Once again, crooning, better than Frank Sinatra.
Number 72:
Great, classic, rock and roll.
Number 69:
Okay, that was, originally, a Beatles song, released in 1967. Did I post it, last week? Anyway, this is the super pretty version. I like it.
Number 67:
Dance music! Yes! Listing types of dances. The bugaloo! Fun.
Number 65:
I do not recall ever hearing that song before, but, I truly like the guitar, and the saxophone. Nice.
Number 62:
Classic hard rock, with weird intro. Rock on.
Number 61:
Okay, I looked that up, in Wikipedia:
The hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that produces sound by a hand-crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a violin. Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents—small wedges, typically made of wood—against one or more of the strings to change their pitch. Like most other acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board and hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible.
Back in the sixties, I did not know any of that. I thought Donovan, was just singing jibberish.
Number 60:
The main part of that song, is the bass track. The singing, is just a nice counterpoint, to go along with that bass track. Hmmmm. Nice. Anytime I think the Beatles were not all that super duper amazing, I can play this one, and think again.
Number 58:
Okay, the music, is not a super smash hit. But, the mash up, of dance clips, makes me think: Most likely, young folks nowadays, think that they, and their friends, and folks who are young now, can truly dance, way better, than folks way back in the sixties. Nope. Those who were young in the sixties, could dance quite well, with James Brown, as a great example. That would be fun, to see teenagers, now, in 2022, imitating the moves, of James Brown. Most likely, many of them could do it, but, as they study his moves, and work to match them, they would learn to respect the sixties.
Number 57:
Ahhh, such a nice, happy, love song.
Number 55:
Okay, this is another example, of why I am glad I am doing these diaries. That shrill guitar solo, at the beginning, and the middle, and the end, that is an old friend, I know it well. I can turn it up, loud, and savor it. But, I simply never heard of the Status Quo, and I never heard of, Pictures of Matchstick Men. Apparently, I heard the song on the radio, and never tried to find out the title, or the artist.
Number 52:
Wow, so smooth, so nice, so easy. I know others recorded the same song, but I think I like this cover, the best. Relax, and savor it.
Number 50:
Truly, one the best basic rock songs, in all of rock and roll history. The actual melody, seems very simple, nothing fancy. But, what about those lyrics!?:
I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead
I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled
I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread
Yeah, yeah, yeah
I was crowned with a spike right thru my head
But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas
But it's all right, I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash
It's a gas! Gas! Gas
A spike through his head? Those silly kids:
Born
26 July 1943 (age 79)
Okay, a little younger than Joe Biden.
Number 49:
Such a nice, happy, peace and love hippy song. But, this is another one, where I recall hearing, it, but never knew the title or the artist.
Number 47:
Such a happy hippy song. Truly, one of my favorites.
Number 43:
I like the message, that is in the title, and that came through, in the song: Let’s have some classical music influence, let’s have that classical, acoustic, guitar sound, but let’s make it “a gas,” meaning, modern, sixties style. I like that.
Number 42:
Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film starring Barbara Parkins, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, Susan Hayward, Paul Burke, and Lee Grant. It was directed by Mark Robson, and produced by David Weisbart. Based on Jacqueline Susann's 1966 novel Valley of the Dolls, it follows three women struggling to forge careers in the entertainment industry, each of them descending into barbiturate addiction—"dolls" being a slang term for depressant pills or "downers".[4]
As I started watching this music video, which is clearly made of scenes from the movie, as I got to the part about the pills, I started crying, loud and hard. (I cry easily, since my wife died, in March of this year.) I was crying, at the truly sad plot, of addiction to pills. I have never had a chemical dependency, as they call it, myself, but I feel that in my grief journey, I feel a connection, to those in recovery. Seems this was an important movie, and a great song.
Number 40:
Oh, yes!
I feel it in my fingers
I feel it in my toes
Love that's all around me
And so the feeling growsIt's written on the wind
It's everywhere I go, oh yes it is
So if you really love me
Come on and let it show, oh
You feel it in your toes? Okay!
Number 38:
Is that called, bubble gum music? I like it, any old way.
Number 37:
In the category of silly bubble gum novelty songs, this is truly one of my favorites.
Number 36:
So classy, so smooth. A basic song of the sixties.
Number 35:
Such a happy, upbeat song. Music for a good mood.
Number 34:
Every song this band got on the charts, seems like, were well written songs, with strong vocals, great music.
Number 31:
Aren’t we all, born to be wild?
Number 30:
Precise, clear, singing, great song, what more could you want?
Number 29:
Well done story song, with a great tune.
Number 28:
Such a classic sixties song. Sad, but musically outstanding.
Number 27:
Classic Motown.
Number 26:
Groovy!
(I am getting tired. I am having trouble, finding songs I can skip, to save time.)
Number 25:
Okay, I remembered this was a silly novelty song. I was going to skip it. But, I wanted to check it, first. As soon as I heard the bass track droning in the first ten seconds, I realized, I had to post it.
Number 24:
Such a great love ballad!
Number 21:
I know the song, as well as I know Twinkle Twinkle, but I did not know that was the title. Great instrumental.
Number 20:
I had forgotten, this is one of those songs, that isolates each instrument. I like it.
Number 19:
This is not high on my list of favorites, but it is a basic part of the music of that year.
Number 18:
Oh, yes! Great instrumental. Nice.
Number 14:
Classic Doors.
Number 13:
Classic sixties. (Sorry, I’m getting tired, too tired to write clever comments. Give us clever comments, in the comment thread, please.)
Number 12:
I remembered this was a corny love song, and I wanted to skip it, but, I checked on it, and, it made me cry. It’s such a sweet love song.
Number 11:
Great story song. If you don’t know the story well, make sure and listen, to the end.
Number 10:
Hey, this is another song that gives you the instruments, one by one. This one makes me feel good. But, the title is backwards. This song makes me relax, not tighten up!
Number 9:
This song was part of a movie, as you can see. Tell me the name of the movie, in the comments, and tell me the names of the stars.
Number 8:
Another song, from another movie. You may write about the stars, in the comments. The title is the same, song and movie.
Number 7:
Nice, smooth, love song.
Number 6:
Hard rock? But, the singing is so sweet! I especially like this part:
I'm with you my love
The light's shining through on you
Yes, I'm with you my love
It's the morning and just we two
I'll stay with you darling now
I'll stay with you 'til my seas are dried upI've been waiting so long
To be where I'm going
In the sunshine of your love
Nice love song.
Number 5:
Powerful video. Dr. King is in the video. Peace and love hippie video. I like it.
Number 4:
Such a mellow classic.
Number 3:
Oh, how I hate this song. It came out, before I married my first wife, Pam, in 1977. Any time I heard this song, I thought, wow, that sure would be awful, for a man to have a sweet, loving wife, and then she dies.
Oh well, even though my first wife, Pam, died, in 2008, and my second wife, Tonia, died, in March of this year, I can go watch Mr. Otto, the new Tom Hanks movie. He plays the role of an old guy, whose wife has died, and they made it into a comedy, from what I see in the trailer. I like that. I am laughing, and crying, thinking about it. The movie comes out, January 15th, I think.
Number 2:
Simply one of the prettiest songs, in all of pop music.
Number 1:
Classic Beatles. Maybe, their most mellow, up beat song.
Okay, what did I even leave out? (I don’t want to tell you.) I will give you the link, in case you want to find, the few songs I left out, and post them in the comments:
Love and hugs.
Hey, I was watching a video, in which folks were discussing the topic of suicide.
I am always telling everyone, that my wife, Tonia, died in March of this year. So, I have been moving ahead, on my grief journey, to my new normal. Part of that new normal, is posting these music diaries. Plus, on Tuesdays, I am posting prepper diaries. I am not close to suicide, so, do not worry about me. But the topic is important to me.
Anyway, in that video, they forgot to post the new national suicide prevention hotline.
Here it is (in case you don’t already know it):
988
Love, and hugs!