If you grew up in the Sixties, you’ll remember this… in Daydreaming on the Porch
- Feb. 20, 2022, 8:14 p.m.
- |
- Public
Being an inveterate YouTube user, their algorithms have gotten pretty good at selecting videos they know I’d like. It’s downright uncanny at times. Particularly so when they produce nostalgia and “Recollection Road” videos. Today, one them took me back to the Good Old Days of the early through mid-Sixties.
Here are some Sixties memories, mostly good, but one not-so-good, that the video below brought to mind:
I remember when Chubby Checker and “The Peppermint Twist” were no longer cool. The reason: The Beatles, who stormed America in 1964. I had brought Chubby Checker records to a 7th grade dance while everyone else brought Beatles records. I slunk into a corner as the kids danced to “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” So embarrassing.
I recall endlessly listening to these hit songs on 45 rpm records that you could buy at the dime store:
Little Old Lady from Pasadena by Jan and Dean
Surf City by the Beach Boys
I’m a Believer — The Monkees
Green Grass — Gary Lewis and the Playboys
Conquistador by Procol Harem
Little Green Bag — The George Baker Selection
My family officially joined Suburbia Americana in 1961.
I had a lawn-mowing business.
We belonged to the local country club, which had lots of tennis courts, but no golf course, which was fine by me. Their snack bar had the best French fries I’ve ever tasted, before or after, crinkle-cut and greasy.
I loved to ride my bike to the shopping center on General Meyers Avenue to get a bag of bite-sized hamburgers with chopped onions and a pickle right off the grill. Each hamburger was 15 cents. This was at a place called Royal Castle, similar to White Castles up north. I grew up in New Orleans.
I went to a junior high that looked exactly like a big high school, not a middle school.
I infinitely preferred a Burger King Whopper with extra mayo to anything at McDonald’s or Burger Chef.
We watched movies downtown in theaters that seated a thousand or more people, munching on buckets of popcorn drenched in buttery grease.
In the early Sixties we still played outside a lot, but by the mid to late-Sixties I was 15 and older, and hung around at the neighbor’s basketball hoop, played touch football in a vacant lot, went bowling, and swam at the country club pool in summer.
In New Orleans we looked forward to Mardi Gras, and went to lots of parades and scooped up junky beads and trinkets from the floats manned by masked riders. Such fun.
Mom fixed a good home-cooked meal every night for supper. My favorites were meat loaf or fried chicken with mashed potatoes.
We went to backyard barbecues. Hamburgers and baked beans never tasted so good!
The price of a Hershey Bar was still 5 cents in the Sixties, increasing to 10 cents in 1969. A bottle of Coke was 10 cents, having remained at 5 cents for 70 years until the Sixties.
We piled in the Olds Delta 88 and Dad drove us all to my grandparents’ and aunt’s house, and from there we would head to the beach for a week in the sun and waves.
As I get old, I like to remember the good times and golden years, before the chaos of the late Sixties led to a changed and much less innocent America.
Me at the end of the decade, 1969
The Sixties
Last updated February 20, 2022
gypsy spirit ⋅ February 20, 2022 (edited February 20, 2022)
Edited
nice photo...you were quite a looker in the sixties smiles
Yes I remember most of those records, had many 45's myself but a mix of British music ( including early Beatles) as well as American.The early sixties ( pre-Beatles and prior to me travelling to UK in '64 & back '65 I used to love the beach party movies of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello as well as Elvis & Pat Boone films...not to mention the classic musical movies such as South Pacific, Blue Hawaii and West Side Story. Very little of today's music grabs my interest at all so either I am getting old or the music is not as good....More Smiles. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. p
Telstar gypsy spirit ⋅ February 21, 2022
The music is not as good.................
Oswego Telstar ⋅ February 21, 2022
Agreed. The music of the Sixties was unique and had great lyrics, but to me it was always the music that was the draw and the gteat accomplishment. I am sure there is good music made today, but music really is generational. It has to reflect and speak to the times.
Telstar Oswego ⋅ February 21, 2022
So true.
And since I quit listening to most popular music made after 1973............
Oswego gypsy spirit ⋅ February 21, 2022
You mentioned some classic artists and movies. We remember these because we have so many associations with popular culture as we lived it through those unforgettable times.
gypsy spirit Oswego ⋅ February 21, 2022
they sure were, great talents like few since. cheers p
Telstar ⋅ February 21, 2022
Yep, that was the 60s..................
Jinn ⋅ February 23, 2022
Wow, I wish my time growing up had been like that . It sounds lovely .
I always loved the music of the seventies , when I was a teen.
You are a handsome guy. Great picture !