The MT Alternative Podcast
Satire, an alternative views of current events ,Adult themes
The MT Alternative Podcast
When America Turned 200: The Soundtrack of a Nation
Step into a time machine to 1976, when America celebrated its bicentennial, bell-bottoms were wide, and the musical landscape was experiencing a revolution unlike any other. This vibrant year saw rock music expanding to fill stadiums while punk kicked down the establishment's door and disco seduced reluctant dancers across the country.
Mike and Tom share their personal connections to this transformative year with palpable enthusiasm, exploring how Boston's groundbreaking debut album, Queen's operatic masterpiece "Bohemian Rhapsody," and the Eagles' mysterious "Hotel California" created the soundtrack to their formative years. Their genuine excitement bubbles over as they recall discovering Kiss at age 9-13, marveling at Steven Tyler's vocal range on "Dream On," and forming air bands with friends to perform Bay City Rollers hits.
Beyond music, the hosts paint a vivid picture of 1976 America – a nation draped in patriotic red, white, and blue everything (including toilet paper!), where CB radios connected truckers and civilians alike, and innovations like Apple Computer were quietly changing the world. The conversation weaves through cultural touchstones from Rocky to Charlie's Angels, creating a rich tapestry of nostalgia.
The hosts don't just catalog songs; they reveal how these tracks became intertwined with their personal experiences, from first crushes to childhood dreams of rock stardom. Tom's confession about using country music and Dr. Hook to get through lonely summers on the farm stands alongside Mike's memories of cutting guitar shapes from wood – authentic moments that show how deeply music shapes our identities.
Ready to rediscover the year when Queen, the Ramones, and Donna Summer somehow shared the same cultural moment? Join us for this joyful deep dive into the music that defined 1976 and the people who loved it. Leave a message on our website at mtalpod.com – we'd love to hear your musical memories!
Ah, yes 1976, america turned 200, people were still roller skating with actual enthusiasm and your dad was probably rocking a moustache that could shelter a small family of birds. Gas was cheap, bell-bottoms were wide and somehow, somehow, everyone was either listening to Queen, the Bee Gees or the Ramones, possibly all at once. It was the year rock went stadium size, punk kicked the door in and screamed and disco snuck in the back room with a glitter ball and a polyester suit whispering you will dance even if you hate yourself for it. Meanwhile, boston released one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, stevie Wonder dropped a masterpiece and people actually bought a single called Disco Duck on purpose. So today, mike and Tom are digging into the glorious chaotic mixtape. That was 1976, when FM radio ruled, record stores smelled like vinyl and incense and nobody knew what a TikTok was, because people actually talked. So turn up the dial, polish your platform shoes and get ready to argue about whether Hotel California is genius or just six minutes of rich guy problems.
Speaker 3:It's 1976, and this is the MT Alternative Podcast all right, guys, before we start this uh podcast, tom and I would like to make a couple corrections. I myself don't know why I kept saying I was 13 years old last time, when I was 12 you're in a hurry to grow up.
Speaker 3:I guess I was, but just wanted to say that 1975, Mike was only 12. Yep, so I just wanted that in. I repeated I was 13 many times. Hey, drugs are a strange thing, man. Tom, you wanted to make a correction A little more serious note than mine.
Speaker 4:I did. The best friend I was talking about the last time it was uh, I said, was killed in a car accident, and I don't know why. I said that because and he wasn't killed in a car accident, he was killed uh ground trying to save a bunch of kids, uh as a police officer okay, okay, yeah. That was it. There's a big difference here, yeah, big difference and we just do a lot of different things during our podcast. That cause us to do some things, but Me forgetting my age.
Speaker 3:What year? But anyways, folks. Well, back to our regular podcast. Yes, sir, welcome back to the MT Alternative Podcast. Tom, what the hell's going on?
Speaker 4:bud. Not much, Mike. I'm excited about being here today.
Speaker 3:It's 1976, my friend, it is. Wait a minute, you missed some what happened.
Speaker 4:Did I take the brown acid? I believe you did. They told us not to.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, you.
Speaker 4:Well, it was too late.
Speaker 3:You were warned.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's right, I ate them before I ever paid for them.
Speaker 3:That's all right, Sorry guy. As Cheech and Chon once said, or Tommy Chon once hope you're not busy for about a month, man, You'll be fine.
Speaker 4:So anyways, here we are again, bud Yep 1976, bicent bud Yep 1976. Bicentennial year.
Speaker 3:Bicentennial year 200th birthday of this great nation of ours. Hell yeah, america, america, america.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Right, good, great freaking music, tom. I'm going to be honest this pretty much. I loved all the music we've done up to this. Right. A lot of memories, different kind of memories but, as we were speaking earlier, 76 to probably 82, 83, pretty much the soundtrack of my youth. Those songs, these songs have a lot of memories, especially this year with you have to understand our.
Speaker 4:our mental capacity grows as we do and the music that we're around just molds into us, and that makes us who we are.
Speaker 3:That's what music is all about.
Speaker 4:Like I said before, music is a universal language.
Speaker 3:Absolutely Tom.
Speaker 4:So I mean, everybody knows music.
Speaker 3:Everybody loves music. Everybody loves music. Even if you have somebody or know somebody you don't really like, I guarantee you'll compromise on a song.
Speaker 4:Or hear me out, if you've ever been watching Les Stroud, the guy that does Survivorman. He goes to these far off countries in the jungles Okay Well, they don't even know English, they don't know anything. But what do they do At the night? They light a big fire, right, music, music, it's all music.
Speaker 3:All about music.
Speaker 4:Yeah, even people who are away from our culture know about music.
Speaker 3:Music. It's a universal language.
Speaker 4:Yeah, see, see, that's what I told you.
Speaker 3:Well, first of all work.
Speaker 4:And see, but I do want to uh.
Speaker 3:Well, first of all work. And yeah, you were.
Speaker 4:I was trying to stay away from that, but okay you were a little sick this week.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I came up with a name when you left softy, that darren seems to like darren. Oh my goodness so darren softy when I told him that can I call him, that I go, I wouldn't. And then I said go ahead and call him. And he did, he shouted it out to you. He shouted it right out at me, didn't he?
Speaker 4:You got to admit that was funny. That was kind of funny Coming from Darren.
Speaker 3:I couldn't resist. Yeah, we're not going to talk about anything else at work. Was it that bad? You were a little worn out. It was a little hot.
Speaker 4:Well, Monday and Tuesday, you know, this week I pulled probably more boxes than I've ever pulled before they had. There were so many different trucks sitting on the floor, Were you a little worn out, I was a little worn out.
Speaker 3:Is that an understatement?
Speaker 4:Yeah, but I made it through. I pecked away.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the boxes do suck.
Speaker 4:Well, I like them better rolls.
Speaker 3:Yes, it's easier to dig those boxes out. Sure it is. I need that roll on the bottom there under these rolls that weigh 100 pounds.
Speaker 4:Yeah, oh boy, anyway, yeah.
Speaker 3:But back to our podcast. Hey, the music Bicentennial. I do want to talk about the bicentennial, Of course. What do you remember about it? We had on July 4th weekend 1976, I was at my uncle and aunt's camp. They were at Cedar Lake in Sturbridge, Mass Right, and I remember being there and a bunch of I hate to say it me and my friend Tim floating around in a little rubber wrap we had bought. Right yeah, my cousin in a bikini. I know that sounds weird.
Speaker 3:But hey, I was what 13 years old people Give me a break? How?
Speaker 4:old was he who, your cousin she, oh, oh, oh.
Speaker 3:The bikini. This isn't 2025. I'm talking about.
Speaker 4:This is the normal days.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, back in the 70s. I think about it now and I'm like what the hell was I doing? Looking at my damn cousin.
Speaker 4:Well, I know what you were doing, because I was doing the same thing. Pretty sad.
Speaker 3:But anyways, I remember the birthday parties it's the only people we knew being 13 and the music that came out. There was a lot of events. Everything was red, white, blue, marketing at the time. Oh man See, why can't we have that?
Speaker 4:pride again, commodory.
Speaker 3:I don't get it. Is that what it?
Speaker 4:said Commodory.
Speaker 3:Commodory, commodory.
Speaker 4:Now you got me saying it wrong, yeah.
Speaker 3:Well, anyways, you know what we mean, folks, yeah.
Speaker 4:The togetherness.
Speaker 3:Now let's get to the meat of the podcast, the music Brought meat. Yeah, that comes later.
Speaker 4:Wait a minute. This happened before Dream. I'm not going there again. Wait a minute. Okay, I saw this on an episode of Criminal Minds.
Speaker 3:Criminal Minds yeah, it's a different episode. So, first of all, if I want to read the music that defines 76, this is by some research I did and combined a bunch of different things, right, different sites. First we got Hotel California. Not in particular order, I'm just reading them this way Right, right, right. You had Hotel California by the Eagles. That was released in December. It captured the essence of 70s excess and disillusionment, which is obviously true. Bohemian Rhapsody, tom Hanging around. Great frickin' song.
Speaker 4:Did we not talk about this last time? Yep.
Speaker 3:They released it in 75, but that song was still kicking in 76. It's amazing, just wild. It came in late 1975, but it charted in 76.
Speaker 4:But let's talk about what it really talks about.
Speaker 3:I mean, it's a system and we're not going down this road again, are we? No, no, okay, I was a little nervous.
Speaker 4:No, I'm just saying the fact that he sang a song that was about a certain thing, that just lasted and just tore people's hearts.
Speaker 3:I believe it's your first rock opera.
Speaker 4:Yeah, opera, opera.
Speaker 3:That's the key word here. It could basically be a play.
Speaker 4:Because you've got to think about plays. You know, every play has Every play. Every play has a death. Look at Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet, yeah, play has a death Like. Look at Romeo and Juliet.
Speaker 3:Romeo and Juliet yeah that was tragic. Dancing in the light.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I remember those. Hey, this is about music, it is, but you have to think about things that happened back in the day that you know that were tragic. All these plays were about tragic. Yeah, a lot of them, yeah. All right let's move on to how it stood out.
Speaker 3:Don't Go Breaking my Heart by Elton John and Kiki D. That was a big hit. They played that a lot on the radio.
Speaker 4:They did.
Speaker 3:Disco Donna Summers yeah, donna Summers. The Bee Gees yeah, pretty much, just pretty much. Next year we'll be talking about Saturday Night. Fever came out, the Bee Gees. Saturday Night Fever and Disco was big then. I even remember these little disco plays. I wasn't going to them then popping up everywhere, even where we lived. We had Punk Rock, the Ramones. They released their debut album in April of 76.
Speaker 4:What was the big song for them?
Speaker 3:There's a lot of good songs, but they're all. I like the Ramones. I'm not going to lie, I always liked the Ramones, simple.
Speaker 4:Three chords Yep.
Speaker 3:They rocked, they had the Sex Pistols dropped. Anarchy in the UK Big song.
Speaker 4:Can we say that?
Speaker 3:Then America's bicentennial band Boston released their self-titled debut album one of the best-selling debut albums of all time and of course I'll be discussing that later in the podcast Right, one of my favorite albums ever. Right Pretty much started off my soundtrack to my life. But from there, what are your thoughts? And this isn't our list, people. No, this is something we pulled up A bunch of different sites all put it together for us.
Speaker 4:I just have to.
Speaker 3:I mean, they're all good. Everything we talked about here Exactly. Whether you like the Sex Pistols or not, they had some good songs. Yes, strange Band, yes, sure, they did Real punk too.
Speaker 4:But the main thing I take away from this opening segment is the bicentennial year. It was everything, even toilet paper. Toilet paper was red, white blue, twinkies, red white blue, yep, yep and just everything. Beer packages.
Speaker 3:I mean everything.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah, it was just an amazing year Because we Now you were what? Nine years old, I was nine, nine, I was nine. A lot of things happened when I was nine, you know. Do tell Well there are certain things that you're. You have older brother, baby no.
Speaker 3:No, no, I am the oldest.
Speaker 4:You're the older brother. Okay, so I'm talking to you.
Speaker 3:I had a friend of mine that was a little older than me. That was my big brother. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4:But you had a younger brother. Yes, okay, remember what you used to do to him. Yes, here, try this. Well, my brother Believe it a lot.
Speaker 3:I was a lot nicer.
Speaker 4:My brother, who was born in 1960. Okay, okay, so he was seven years older than I was, and when he was 16 and I was nine, oh, he was only 16. Well, yeah, he was. But you have to understand, I was around him a lot because you know, we ran together and when his friends and they got out, they were teenagers.
Speaker 4:They had the little brown paper bags, if you know what I mean Right right and so I was interested and they thought it was funny and so that was my first introduction to any kind of herbal I gotcha I gotcha, yeah, yeah I was a little later.
Speaker 3:Yeah, maybe was smoked a few butts and had a few beers at this age of 13. Won't lie about that.
Speaker 4:But yeah, we had a great time in 76. It was just something that you remember when you're growing old.
Speaker 3:Now, any of these groups or songs that I brought up, you got a jingle. Is there any songs that? Of course, we're still going to be talking music and we're going to be fluctuating back and forth with nostalgia, right, right, right.
Speaker 4:But anything that you want to talk about as far as music and, well, the hotel california thing, was great, it was just something. Great album. Okay, you have to understand. At nine years old, when this came out, right, I heard it because of the people I was, I was around, but when you're nine, you don't understand the words and why it is.
Speaker 3:All you hear is you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth.
Speaker 4:Nobody understands the words coming out of my mouth, thanks, but anyway, you get into this thing and things mean more to you when you're older than they do when you're younger. So we didn't get the full concept of the song until I was older. I didn't. Okay, you know, right, hotel California. Then you get the concept of the song when you're a teenager and you're like, wow, now we're getting into this music. But that'll come later. But this is what you think about when you're nine. You know you hear, stab it with their steely knives, but they can't kill the bees.
Speaker 3:It scares you. Well, the part that scares me is you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave. Yeah, like that what I want to do now, quickly. Okay, I'm just going to read the top 40. Gotcha, we don't have to elaborate on it. I just want to talk about the read the top 40.
Speaker 4:Sure, is there anything that you want?
Speaker 3:to talk about in here. We'll do that. That's fine, but just to. I mean we've been doing the top 40 for every other year, yeah.
Speaker 4:We might as well do it here.
Speaker 3:So let's start from 40 and work backwards. Okay, all by myself, eric Carman.
Speaker 4:Eric Carman. No, not Carman. Oh okay, no South Park, yet Cartman.
Speaker 3:Lonely Night, angel Face Captain and Tennille. Turn the Beat Around Vicki Sue Robinson.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, there's that disco.
Speaker 3:Yeah, there it is Dream Weaver Gary Wright. Freaky song as I got a little older and was doing other things that song kind of spaced me out.
Speaker 4:Well, that's what it was for. Let your.
Speaker 3:Love Flow the Bellamy Brothers.
Speaker 4:Bellamy Brothers yeah, Good song Good song, good song.
Speaker 3:They got a lot more that I never knew, that you told me about. We got Dr Hook Only 16 at 35.
Speaker 4:That's one of my songs this week.
Speaker 3:Moonlight Feels Right. Starbuck at 34. Golden Years, David Bowie at 33. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine. Lou Rawls, you Should Be Dancing. They're the Bee Gees. Yeah, you Should Be Dancing. Love, Roller Coaster. Ohio Players Also, let's see, I think, Chili Peppers.
Speaker 4:Chili Peppers. Yeah, I kind of did a version yeah.
Speaker 3:Theme from Swat Rhythm Heritage. Right back where we started, from Maxine Nightingale Sweet Love Commodores.
Speaker 4:Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake your Booty Casey and the Sunshine Band, yeah, yeah guys.
Speaker 3:Great song Take it to the Limits, eagles.
Speaker 4:Oh, the Eagles yeah.
Speaker 3:Get Up and Boogie. That's right. Silver Convention. I remember them. Love Hurts Nazareth, you Sexy Thing. Hot Chocolate, I'd Really Love to See you Tonight. England Inn, john Ford Colby.
Speaker 4:Which we were just talking about, Every day one of the good songs of theirs.
Speaker 3:Boogie Fever. The Silvers, misty Blue, dorothy Moore, bohemian Rhapsody Queen.
Speaker 4:One more more.
Speaker 3:Andrea, true Connection. How do you like it? More, more, more, get Closer Seals and Crofts. Love Hangover Is Get.
Speaker 4:Closer Seals and Crofts Love Hangover. Is that anything like a hippie hangover?
Speaker 3:Kind of close. I think they go together. Hippies.
Speaker 4:Love, yeah, Fly.
Speaker 3:Robin Fly Silver Convention Up Up to the Sky.
Speaker 4:I Write the Songs. Barry Manilow, that was my theme song for many years.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you thought you wrote all the songs.
Speaker 4:I do write all the songs.
Speaker 3:Afternoon Delight and Vocal Band hey.
Speaker 4:So we're moving on Sarah Smile, daryl Hall and John Oates.
Speaker 3:That got me that surprised me A Fifth of Beethoven, walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. Love is Alive, gary Wright. I just want to read these. Right, let's see. Gary Wright, 50 Ways to Leave your Lover. Paul Simon. Love Machine. Part One, the Miracles. Kiss and Say Goodbye to the Manhattans. Play that Funky Music. Wild Cherry, december 1963, oh what a Night. The Four Seasons that Was a Good Song. Disco Lady. Johnny Taylor, number 2, don't Go Breaking my Heart, elton John and Kiki D and Number 1, silly Long Song Wings. Now, this was all based off Billboard at year end Hot 100 singles chart, not our songs, right? This is from Billboard Question. Okay now.
Speaker 4:Silly love songs first.
Speaker 3:Okay, the Wings, Paul McCartney.
Speaker 4:Was it Paul McCartney and Wings, or just Wings?
Speaker 3:It might have been just Wings at this time.
Speaker 4:Might have been.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Okay, I was just wondering because it doesn't mention Paul McCartney. No, no, it does usually say Paul McCartney Wings, but that's something I didn't think.
Speaker 4:And the other thing that got me was coming from a past that I did. I mean, I knew everything, but I didn't realize that Daryl Hall and John Oates were out before 80s.
Speaker 3:That's because you were still a young lad? Yes, I was, and you probably didn't hear those songs besides Maneater.
Speaker 4:Must have been because of my brother introducing me to the herbal essence when I was so young.
Speaker 3:You were young I was nine. Yeah, you were probably listening to the wrong music at nine.
Speaker 4:There was no wrong music at nine.
Speaker 3:No, nah, none at all.
Speaker 4:Well, disco Duck kind of was wrong, but Right, don't you agree?
Speaker 3:Stupid.
Speaker 4:Well, there you go.
Speaker 3:Wild Cherry was funny because I think that story's hilarious when they're playing some funky music. White boy somebody yells from the crowd. So the guy took that, went home, wrote a song. There it is. Imagine that that's pretty fucked up. Somebody yells at you. Play some funky music, white boy, you know what? I think I'll make up a song for that. Their only hit.
Speaker 4:I'm going to make a hit.
Speaker 3:That's some good music there. Good top 40. Of course you and I have there's a couple on there we both like but you and I have some difference in what we picked.
Speaker 4:Well, of course you know, and everybody knows, that Bohemian Rhapsody stands out.
Speaker 3:It doesn't matter what kind of music you like. If you didn't like that back in the day you got something wrong with you. You have definitely something wrong with you.
Speaker 4:But you mentioned one of my favorite songs from that era, which was Only 16, by Dr Hood. Yes, but once again, I remember out on the farm the only thing I had was eight-track tapes and myself and of course I pretended like I was in a big concert and singing and all that stuff and I was part of the band. You know how you do.
Speaker 3:I used to cut shapes of guitars out of wood, put a board on it and have to come playing a guitar in front of a mirror until I actually got a real guitar. But anyways, I did stupid shit like that, you know. Let's get into the fashion and culture.
Speaker 4:I don't want to.
Speaker 3:Yeah well, we were having fun with this outside. So let's see, we had bell bottoms and platform shoes. We're still in the radio. I've had bell bottoms, not platform shoes.
Speaker 4:I've had both.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's ridiculous. Well it was. Why would you wear platform shoes?
Speaker 4:Because it made me look a lot taller. Number one and number two I looked like those kids on Fout Albert the kid with the big platform shoes, the bell-bottoms.
Speaker 3:I thought they all wore pretty much bell-bottoms. Hey, hey, hey, alright. Bicentennial fashion, red white, hey, all right, bicentennial fashion. Red, white and blue designs became part of everything from socks to leisure suits. Yeah, that's true.
Speaker 4:Even toilet paper.
Speaker 3:Toilet paper. Yes, yes, yeah, red, white and blue ass.
Speaker 4:Well.
Speaker 3:No, yeah, well, it could stain.
Speaker 4:Well, it could you?
Speaker 3:they use the wrong ink.
Speaker 4:Well, speaking of ink and assholes, did you see the picture of?
Speaker 3:Tiger King, let's not go there, let's not go there. All right, mood rings and pet rocks are still lingering from 75.
Speaker 4:I remember a mood ring.
Speaker 3:Yeah, those are goofy as fuck.
Speaker 4:Yeah, well.
Speaker 3:They still sell those.
Speaker 4:I bought my mother one that's oh. So I could always tell what kind of mood she was in when I came to ask her shit. I'd look at the ring and I'd be like ooh.
Speaker 3:Not a good time. Not a good time. Cb radios are massive yeah they were, they rise their trucking culture. Smoking the bandit.
Speaker 4:CW McCall. I had a handle on the CB when my dad had a CB in his car. Cb when my dad had a CB in his car.
Speaker 3:What was your handle?
Speaker 4:Blue deer, you blew a deer.
Speaker 3:No, oh wow, that's like an Indian name or something. We call you blue deer.
Speaker 4:Yeah, blue, you blew a deer. No blue as in the color. Oh Color blue, okay, deer. My dad, he was blue goose and this is why.
Speaker 3:Funny story. I want to say something so bad? No, but out of respect for your dad, I will not. Well, I respect my dad, I'm getting ready.
Speaker 4:Nope, nope, nope, blue Goose, I respect my dad so much I'm going to tell you this story when he was in prison.
Speaker 3:Okay, your dad was in prison For a while. Jail or prison. Okay, your dad was in prison For a while. Jail or prison. Prison oh Jesus Tom.
Speaker 4:Yeah, well, anyway, that's another story. But there was a bus that hauled the camp around and it was called the Blue Goose. What camp? The prison camp, you mean?
Speaker 1:it hauled they hauled them to wherever they had to work that day, okay, okay.
Speaker 3:And it was called the Blue Goose, so my dad said his CB handle was the Blue Goose.
Speaker 4:He brought that with him, I guess, but funny story.
Speaker 3:Now it's your turn to tell a humiliating story. I have no humiliating stories, you don't? They were all great. Yeah, I remember what we were going to bring up.
Speaker 4:But you said we're not bringing that up. So I'm not going to Remember. Earlier in the week we were talking and you said, no, we're not bringing that up.
Speaker 3:I said I'm going to bring it up. I did. I looked at my cousin.
Speaker 4:That was it. Was it that was a story? No, there's more to the story than that.
Speaker 3:Do tell.
Speaker 4:Wasn't there. Yeah, anyway, refresh my memory I thought your cousin was a guy when you told that story. No, it was my cousin, she's a girl. Okay, you said bikini.
Speaker 3:I wasn't sure. I told you there was 76, not now, oh, okay.
Speaker 4:Not this time. Anyway, back to the story.
Speaker 3:I mean, is there something else that remind me?
Speaker 4:if there's something else that I said, oh, no, no, no, no, I was just going back.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, I was just going back, I might have said something at work, I don't know.
Speaker 4:No, no, I don't remember anything other than that. I just I had forgot. You already mentioned the cousin.
Speaker 3:That was my weird little thing. It's like I said my cousin, what the hell? Yeah, sorry. Anyways, technology and innovation, all my cousins were boys, sorry, Apple Computer Company was founded in April 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Apple Computer released retailing for 666.66.
Speaker 4:That's no joke. Well, of course it did. It had a symbol of the first sin.
Speaker 3:Why the number of the beast?
Speaker 4:Well, because it had the symbol of the first freaking sin on it with the apple, the apple got the bite taken out of it. Eve did it. She ruined the world. Women, weirdos, man, nope, let's back up.
Speaker 3:Let's edit that. How about NASA's Viking 1 successfully landed on Mars and sent back the first clear images of the Martian surface? Not a man was on Mars, a machine Right People go. We were never on.
Speaker 4:Exactly.
Speaker 3:We can get into all those conspiracy theories.
Speaker 4:Another time the moon landing, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 3:The Concorde jet remember that, yeah, jet freaking began. Passenger flights. Supersonic commercial travel became a reality. I don't even think they're in service anymore now.
Speaker 4:No, they're not.
Speaker 3:I don't believe, so I think they had some problems yeah well that big Scotland airplane crashed. Okay, I thought that was shot down, maybe Well they thought yep, they thought maybe.
Speaker 4:Okay, but that's what happened to the Concord.
Speaker 3:That's what happened then.
Speaker 4:No.
Speaker 3:Okay, how about politics and social change? Jimmy Carter was elected president November 1976.
Speaker 4:Gerald Ford, wasn't he Defeating Gerald Ford? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:Jimmy Carter, Poor guy, Ended up being a lame-deck president man because of that fucking hostage crisis and all that shit.
Speaker 4:Yeah, he got a bad one and he had old Billy Billy Beer. I had a six-pack of Billy.
Speaker 3:Beer Friends of mine had that shit too.
Speaker 4:I kept one can for like eight weeks.
Speaker 3:And you couldn't resist, you had to open it.
Speaker 4:I had to open it and it was skunk, you had to dump it out. Chunky had to dump it out, damn it.
Speaker 3:So you didn't refrigerate it or keep it cool it was Billy Beard.
Speaker 4:You shouldn't have had to.
Speaker 3:Let's see we had post-Vietnam and post-Watergate era. Americans were skeptical but also idealistic, especially during the Bicentennial. See again, the Bicentennial brought people together man it did.
Speaker 4:Everybody was together.
Speaker 3:I miss that shit.
Speaker 4:I do that shit.
Speaker 3:I do too. Feminist movement, not to be confused with what they call the feminist movement now. The women back then had a right to whatever.
Speaker 4:Still growing.
Speaker 3:Discussion of equal rights amendment and more women entering public life.
Speaker 4:Sure, they wanted to work, let them work. They wanted to vote Let them vote Exactly.
Speaker 3:So let's see we could continue on. Or do you think now we should take a little break? Let the little dudes in and I'm with you.
Speaker 3:Because I got more to say after. But I mean we could do this whole podcast. We could do it. Yeah, I figure we'd give it some space. Let the little dudes come in. We'll discuss more of our music. Sure, if folks, we're going to take a little breaky-poo, we're going to let the little dudes come in. Hopefully we hear something good out of them Decent. I know Pip will be a little prepared Squeak, he's a mess. I don't even know if Troy's brought him in.
Speaker 4:We really don't never know what Squeak might have coming.
Speaker 3:I did hear the helicopter earlier.
Speaker 4:Well, one of them showed up, then At least.
Speaker 3:You know Pip takes that Uber. He loves his Uber. But anyways, folks, we'll be right back. Tom and I got to do a little porch time and hope you enjoy this episode.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Hello, squeaky. What's up? What's up, Pip? Not much. What have you been up to? Oh, about four foot two. Oh, what do you think of this episode? This time, I think this is kick-ass. Man, what episode?
Speaker 1:1976 music, I mean, oh, 1976. Oh, yeah, well, well, we weren't around then, but that was some good music. That was good music, all right. Okay, what's the problem? No problem. Well, you sound like there's a problem. Well, I have a question. Okay, what's the problem? No problem. Well, you sound like there's a problem. Well, I have a question. Okay, go ahead.
Speaker 1:How do you make music on a CB radio? It was just a song Squeak. It was the most popular song in that show. Exactly why? Because it was different. Yeah, because you want to break the law with a big old truck. No, no, cb radios were big. You know, there's a reason. What? Why do you get a fine fault with everything? There's a reason that they're outlawed. You have to have different stuff now to have a radio.
Speaker 1:Okay, what about Smokey and the Bandit? They used CBs. They were outlaws. They were just trying to get beer somewhere. Yeah, that didn't have beer. Well, people wanted their core's beer. Yeah, south of the Masonics line. What's wrong with that? I don't think so. It was against the law. Oh, but moonshine was okay. No, it wasn't okay. Oh well, they let it be, they didn't let it be, they just couldn't find it. Oh, that's the difference. Well, obviously they couldn't catch Smokey and the Bandit either. Well, did you see that dumbass that was chasing him? I mean Bandit, not Smokey, was chasing Bandit, you know what I mean Did you see that dumbass that was chasing him?
Speaker 1:What a smart sheriff. I'm a son of a bitch. What about his son? Yeah well, he was getting married. Remind me, when we get home I'm gonna slap your mama. Yeah, the son was an idiot. Yeah he was a dumbass, but okay.
Speaker 1:Besides that, what was the problem with the episode? An episode, is that what you're calling it? I think Mike and Tom did a spectacular job, okay. Well, let's just talk about some things at a time. Whoever the hell heard about stealing parts from a car dealership? Johnny Cash did. He was in prison. Okay, so he knew people. Well, he shot somebody just to watch him die. That's pretty funny. Well, it's funny. It might be, but it's scary. Why I don't want to be the guy he wants to watch die? Well, you know what? That tells me. Fuck around and find out. See, that's what happens. Well, see, okay. Well, there you go. That tells me Fuck around and find out. See, that's what happens. Well, see, okay. Well, there you go.
Speaker 1:There's no problem, it's a song. Squeak, okay. Well, it's just a damn song. It was scary. What are you scared of? You're never scared of anything. Speaking of, how was the helicopter ride, were you in the chopper or out of the chopper? He let me in because it was raining. When was it raining Up in the sky? Where else would it rain? There's no rain here, no, but when I came in, it was raining. I took a ride in a beautiful Uber convertible.
Speaker 2:It was awesome.
Speaker 1:Did you the sun was shining? Yeah, sky was blue. Did you the sun was shining? Yeah, sky was blue. Birds were singing. Then ATF came around the corner and busted all y'all. No For soliciting sex, probably Cadillac. What are you talking about? I've been in those before. I know what movie you're talking about. I wasn't a movie. I was in an Uber, yeah, driving to the studio. That's not what the name of the movie was, but I remember. But I wasn't in a movie. You got a free ride.
Speaker 2:Are you tripping?
Speaker 1:Nope, I'm just saying you got a free ride. We all know how. Uh hey, uber, you're insinuating something I don't like. Yeah, well, I don't like helicopter rides either, but I bring one every day. Listen, you bitched, you had to drive here. You bitched about the gas prices. Now you're going to chop a ride in Troy's. Very nice to do that. I still don't know why. Troy, troy. Yeah, I went to his daughter's wedding. No, no, no, no, no. Um, I don't believe this. Yeah, last weekend his daughter got married. Wait, a minute, I went there. I don't remember Mike and Tom talking about that. That's because they weren't involved. How were they not involved? They worked for Mike and Tom. Well, there's certain situations where we have Wait a minute, wait, stop, stop, stop, stop. I asked you a couple weeks ago. I said you guys are best friends and you said nope, we're acquaintances. Yeah, nobody invites an acquaintance to a wedding, especially their daughters. Sure, they do. No, no, no, no, no, no. I don't like this. I don't like where this is going.
Speaker 1:Okay well, anyway, anyway. Okay, he asked me to sing a song at his daughter's wedding.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, this is getting worse.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, at his daughter's wedding. Oh, my God, this is getting worse. Yeah, well, at his daughter's wedding. And so I sang, never mind. Anyway, he wasn't happy about what I sang. I want to know what you sang. Squeak, what do you mean? What did you sing? I sang a song. Oh, it was a song. Well, it was his daughter's wedding, right, and evidently he took, he took offense with the song. What was the song? Please don't tell me. It was heard it from a friend.
Speaker 1:Nope, can't always get what you want. Anyway, that was a good song. I know that song. That's not a good song for a wedding, but I can sing good song. I know that song. That's not a good song for a wedding, but I can sing that song really good. Think about it. Think about it. Sit back for a minute, don't say anything. Think about what you sang and where you were at. Okay, okay, I sang. You can't always get what you want. Why would you sing that at a wedding? Because I'm good at it. Okay, at a wedding, people love each other. Getting married, that's stupid. You're saying to somebody Well, first off, first off, first off. Why would you be getting married to somebody so sensitive that they don't want me to sing. Can't always get what you want it, it, it it does. And, and furthermore, I don't understand why the police were called. I didn't get that part. Wait a minute. So all this happened and Troy still gave you a ride here, today.
Speaker 1:Well, sure, troy understands everything. No, no, no, no, something happened. What did you do with Troy? What do you mean? What happened to Troy? Nothing happened to Troy. Troy would have. No, you did that at his daughter's wedding. He would not have. He won't forgive you for that, but he wasn't there. It was his daughter's wedding. That was a different thing that we had. I told him we were going to and he went there instead, but it was a misunderstanding. Oh, wow, wow. It kind of got all mixed up. I was there, I helped out. You gave him false information. No, no, no, he misunderstood. I think he did it on purpose. Squeak, what misunderstood. Yeah, I did misunderstand on purpose. I think. What misunderstood. Yeah, yeah, I did misunderstand on purpose. I think I'm going to talk to Mike and Tom and see what the hell's going on here, because, uh, have you talked to them people? They don't have a damn clue what's going on.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:I understand Tom and Mike might be a little slow. Well, they don't listen to the right music.
Speaker 2:I thought all their music was excellent.
Speaker 1:One piece at a time didn't cost me a dime. But you damn cheapskate, go out and buy a car, don't steal it, maybe. Over the years, maybe because he was in jail, he didn't have money. How are you going to steal a car from jail?
Speaker 1:He got out of jail and then stole a car. No, no, no, he didn't steal a car. He stole parts and built the car. That's different, one piece at a time. What a dumbass. But I wonder how long it took him in all reality? Well, if you listen to the song, it took 45, 55, 55, 65, 65, 65, 85 automobile. You know all that shit. There's more parts than that though. Well, yeah, was he taking more than one piece at a time? Well, sure, oh, okay. Well, his lunchbox would only carry certain. But here's my question how do you fit an engine? Yeah, how do you fit an engine? That's what I want to know. Where do? But here's my question how do you fit an engine?
Speaker 2:Yeah, how do you fit a?
Speaker 1:damn car door in there. That's what I want to know. Where did the heads go? I think they're lying, cass, yeah, something's up. Where is the Wait? You've got to put the block somewhere.
Speaker 1:Okay, so we're understanding that 1976 was a big illusion, right, that song, but it was still a good song. They were all on drugs, everyone, okay, what about that group? Boston? More than a feeling. Okay, well, they hit it right. One group out of the whole damn clan.
Speaker 1:Kiss, more than a feeling. Hey, you went and saw mini kiss, what. You went and saw mini kiss, mini kiss. So you like kiss? Well, listen, because I dated a midget, don't mean you can holler oh, you had a mini kiss, oh you what? No, no, you went and saw a mini kiss. Oh, those little fellas. Yes, just like kiss. No, no, you wanted to get on stage with them. I did not go to them. You wanted to be on stage with them and play your air guitar. I did, but they wouldn't let me, so I didn't. Okay, so that's why you're upset. I boycotted them, bitches. So you're upset about that? No, not anymore. I don't know. Squeak, you know, every week it's something with you and I like being something, and I'll tell you right now. I'm going to get to the bottom of this Troy and his daughter wedding thing.
Speaker 2:I heard about you getting to the bottom of stuff.
Speaker 1:You can make fun of me, all you want. Yeah, with your cousin. Something's not. Leave my cousin out of it. Well, I'm not the one who told him to wear a bikini, it's a her. Oh, and don't confuse me with Mike. Oh, yes, I looked at my cousins too, but that's Mike and this is me. That's different. Okay, two different things. I got you All right, so I guess that'll do it for this episode. Yeah, this episode kind of went south pretty quick. Yeah, always going south with you Squeak. Anyways, folks, until next time later, see ya, see ya.
Speaker 3:Until next time later. See ya Squeak. Well, Squeak's always been the issue, Always been the issue. I thought he'd be over this by now, but sometimes he just seems angrier. He has his good moments.
Speaker 4:He does. He does when he's asleep, right, he's like an infant.
Speaker 3:Yeah Well, you know what Hell with him. Let's get back to what we want to talk about.
Speaker 4:Yeah, music, this is about us.
Speaker 3:Anyway, you have a list of songs, Tom, that you would like to discuss.
Speaker 4:I enjoyed most of the songs that we've talked about already, and I'd like to bring up Dr Hook again.
Speaker 3:Not a problem.
Speaker 4:Dr Hook was big back then. Yeah, surprise, hey, that's what you're into One of my biggest bands. This is what this is about, yep.
Speaker 3:And you're not the only one that's into Dr Hook.
Speaker 4:But they did come out with one of the biggest songs in 1976, which was she Was Only 16. We all remember that song.
Speaker 3:Yeah, why is an older man singing? She Was Only 16?.
Speaker 4:We don't really know how old he was. He sounds older, well he sounds older now.
Speaker 3:Is he singing it from someone else's perspective? Probably, I hope so me too.
Speaker 4:Okay, yeah, that would make me feel a lot more. That was part of the hippie hangover that would make me feel a lot better about the band, if, if he was singing something else. But yeah, but that was one of my songs and it just takes me back to when I was the summers living with my sister and her husband and out on the farm and I had nothing to do. These are the guys that she had on eight track got you through your day yep, that's what listen to.
Speaker 4:That's what this is about. Pretending I was a big rock star and singing I was the only one in the house so I could do anything I wanted and not look like an idiot.
Speaker 3:Who cares? But I know what you mean. We have our secret moments.
Speaker 4:I probably still look like an idiot, but I don't know that. Anyway, nobody else did either I don't know that.
Speaker 3:Anyway, nobody else did either. Well, you're not jumping around playing the air guitar now thinking you're a rock star.
Speaker 4:But I don't know what you do at home. What?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, so we'll move on.
Speaker 4:What else you got. I like my air guitar. I'm pretty good at it. Anyway, here's what really surprised me. What's that? I'm an 80s baby. Okay, you know you get to the 80s?
Speaker 3:Oh no, it's at 80s.
Speaker 4:Daryl Hall and John Oates. Okay, I was very, very shocked and surprised to find out they had a hit song in 1976. They did. I was nine years old. They were there, was it?
Speaker 3:Sarah.
Speaker 4:Sarah smiled.
Speaker 3:Sarah smiled. You know what's funny. You bring up Hall Oates. You know which one sticks out to me and I believe it's from that year Back Together Again.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Great song by Hall Oates. Here they are Again. I was just turning a teenager Right. Those are the songs that I listened to when I listened to the radio.
Speaker 4:I'm used to Wake Me.
Speaker 3:Up, so I knew they were.
Speaker 4:You know I'm used to the other I mean the other, not Aerosmith but I'm used to the other songs by Daryl Hall and John Oates.
Speaker 3:The 80s ones?
Speaker 4:Yeah, early 80s yeah, other songs by Daryl Hall and John Oates, the 80s ones yeah those. And we'll get to those later. But I never dreamed that they had a hit song in 76, but here I am learning things.
Speaker 3:It's funny, you thought they were just an 80s band.
Speaker 4:Yeah, here I am learning things.
Speaker 3:What's your any more? I'm sure you've got more.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I, I have more which is, uh, aerosmith dream on. I spoke of that earlier and I just I think that grabbed a hold of me because I'd never heard anybody hit notes like he did in that song at that point in my life. And I'm like man, if I could sing like that I would be it. Well, of course I would be because he was. But anyway, I'm just saying that's a song that just grabbed me by wow rock. And so then, when we were younger, we developed this air band.
Speaker 3:Yes, did you say air band?
Speaker 4:air band, not hair band, no, not hair, no that was in the 80s air band when you don't know how to play an instrument, right, it's air, so that's how that goes. But the Bay City Rollers they had a huge hit Saturday night and I remember each one of my buddies we all had this little crate that we'd turn upside down and put a pillow on top of so we could stand up on it and act like we were on stage singing that song. It was weird. Wild, wild, wild ride. That was a wild ride, yeah, saturday night. Then if you flipped it over, if you flip that little single over, yep, the little 45, it was. Did you boogie with your baby? Nope, no it wasn't.
Speaker 4:No, you're right, it wasn't.
Speaker 3:It was Saturday Night Fever, saturday Night Fever, saturday Night, and the other side was Maralina. Yep, yep.
Speaker 4:You were right.
Speaker 3:I knew there was a song.
Speaker 4:I couldn't think of. But Boogie with your baby is.
Speaker 3:Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids.
Speaker 4:We're there. I just had them mixed up, that's all. As we move on, but I have to tell you 1976 was the year that I was introduced to Kiss. I don't know what big Kiss song grabbed me by the hoo-hoo at first. Kind of grabbed you by the woo-hoo, yeah. But I do know that KISS was huge when I was like 19, 11. So I remember.
Speaker 3:Well, both of us were talking outside. You brought up the KISS Army was really big back then. It was huge back then. Let's be realistic. Kiss came out with Destroyer early Early early, 76. Yep, and they finished off in November of 76 with Rock and Roll Over.
Speaker 4:Right, right, lots of stuff in between.
Speaker 3:That's going to be getting into some of the bands I talk about during some of the songs.
Speaker 4:But yeah.
Speaker 3:Kiss, of course.
Speaker 4:But that's what drug me to my rock and roll back, so Kiss got you a little way from the country.
Speaker 3:And Dr Hook yeah, because I was always country and Dr Hook.
Speaker 4:John Hanover blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 3:And that's what surprises me, tom, the music you listen to, and then it's Kiss.
Speaker 4:Right and Dr Hill and that's what surprises me, tom, the music you listen to. And then it's Kiss Right and ACDC, and I like Lynyrd Skynyrd and I like oh, lynyrd Skynyrd, I get Southern Rock Right. Which is a lot of Southern Rock, and then Def Leppard. Def Leppard is one of my favorite bands.
Speaker 3:Def Leppard, we'll get to them, but Def Leppard to me after Pyromania.
Speaker 4:Right, right, it was done. Not the same to me anymore. Yeah, it was done, but.
Speaker 3:I'm just saying but yeah we'll discuss that.
Speaker 4:As we got to this. But you know we always go to the rock and everything, and I love rock and I do, but there's like you, love all different genres. Nothing wrong with that. I'm the same Johnny Cash. I remember my favorite Johnny Cash song that came out in 1976.
Speaker 3:One piece at a time, one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime.
Speaker 4:I was nine and that was the most hilarious song, because this guy stole parts.
Speaker 3:And the way he goes on in the song yeah, 45, 55, 56, 57, you know no, johnny Cash.
Speaker 4:You know it was so much fun to hear that. See, that's one of my favorite country artists and doing research on that song, I realized that the producers of that album actually built a car out of all those parts, and Johnny Cash is sitting in the driver's seat and they take a picture of that car.
Speaker 3:It was the coolest thing I ever saw.
Speaker 4:Look it up, guys, it's out there. It is out there. That's awesome. I didn't know that either. Yeah, it was cool. It looked funny as hell, but it was there, excellent. But that was one of the songs I enjoyed when I was young.
Speaker 3:Anything else that you have, well, of course, like to talk about?
Speaker 4:Everybody in the 76 era had a CB radio, did they not?
Speaker 3:Ah, are we going down the CW McCall road?
Speaker 4:With Convoy Convoy we got a big old convoy rocking through the night.
Speaker 3:Come on and join this convoy.
Speaker 4:Ain't she a beautiful sight.
Speaker 3:What's with the women singing in it?
Speaker 4:Well, they always had them. It was kind of like a truck stop. The waitress at the truck stop is in the background singing. That's what it was. Oh, don't forget the tearjerker. What's what it was oh jeez, oh, don't forget the tearjerker. What's that Teddy bear? Remember the little cripple boy that wanted? All he ever wanted was a ride in a truck and a big 18-wheeler.
Speaker 3:Who sang that CW?
Speaker 4:Red Sovine.
Speaker 3:Oh, see another song I don't remember. I don't know if I ever heard it Teddy bear.
Speaker 4:Are you sure when the little?
Speaker 3:teddy bear gets on, the little boy gets on the.
Speaker 4:CB, Just real quick. The little boy gets on the CB and he's like yeah, my mom says I shouldn't get out here and ask this, but I want to ride in a big truck and I'm crippled and I can't do this. And pretty soon his mom comes home from work. She sees all these trucks outside her house all lined up Waiting to give him a damn ride in their trucks and all that that's awesome.
Speaker 3:And then they found out he died a few months later. But anyway, teddy Bear, wait a minute, wait a minute Was he alive when they all pulled up. At least, yeah, did he get his ride.
Speaker 4:Well, until the last guy took him the ride back. But, it's a long story. Oh damn man, Now look it up. Now you made me sad, Now you make me sad.
Speaker 4:I'm sad I'm making shit up now, but that wasn't how it really happened. But the song is a great song. You ought to really look it up and listen to it. It brings you back there. But the other thing I wanted to just touch base on is Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, the good old outlaw boys. The way they capitalized in that era. Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys. That was the most great advice in the world. Dallas Cowboys suck. I mean, how would they know back?
Speaker 3:then how did we get to the Dallas Cowboys?
Speaker 4:Well, that's what they said.
Speaker 3:Well, they said Cowboys, they didn't say Dallas.
Speaker 4:It's implied.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, never knew that.
Speaker 4:I learned something today, folks, cool, cool. But yeah, there was a lot of things and the different, but the one thing that stood out, of course, was Bohemian Rhapsody, how it just stood in test of time and. But I know that you love Boston, I do love Boston, so it brings us to your favorite stuff.
Speaker 3:Well, before I get into my favorite stuff, I'm just going to kind of talk about the other little things from 76 and then sweep back into that Sure. Alright, so I wanted to go back into what we talked about, certain things that kind of stuck out in 76, Tom Right. So you know we both like snacks, food, Heck yeah, Doritos. There you go. So we have food and snacks that hit big in 76. Pop Rocks the fizzy crackling candy hit the mainstream around this time. Do you remember those?
Speaker 4:I do remember Pop Rocks. Hey, remember when.
Speaker 3:Mikey died from Pop Rocks and soda or some shit. Yeah, you're supposed to.
Speaker 4:Mikey from the light commercial yeah, you're not supposed to drink soda with Pop Rock because the peas would make your belly swell up, blow up. Do you realize how big your belly can get? Pretty big.
Speaker 3:Have you seen some people out there?
Speaker 4:Yeah, they showed me how big my belly could get.
Speaker 3:Jell-O 1-2-3. A three-layer dessert introduced early in the 70s was still what the hell is Jell-O 1-2-3. A three-layer dessert introduced early in the 70s was still what the hell is Jell-O 1-2-3? Okay, wait a minute.
Speaker 4:You don't remember that it was like strawberry Jell-O, and then they had the whipped cream and then the strawberry Jell-O and then the whipped cream. Such a different Jell-O. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:All right, let's see Introduced a breakfast menu in test markets. Egg McMuffin started getting you. I love the Egg McMuffin, not going to lie.
Speaker 4:Yeah the Egg. Mcmuffin Sausage Egg.
Speaker 3:McMuffin. Not a keen person of McDonald's food, but I can eat those all day. Yeah, hey, do you remember Tab Cola, tang Tang, space food sticks? I don't think I remember the space food sticks.
Speaker 4:I don't remember the space food sticks, but I do remember Tang.
Speaker 3:Yeah Tang. I remember Astronauts drink Tang.
Speaker 4:Astronauts drink Tang. My mother used to drink Tab. Well, because it was way conscious. It was a little white Tab in the pink or whatever color, pink and orange and whatever, and here we go.
Speaker 3:We talked about this earlier. Bicentennial themed packaging appeared on everything, budweiser cans to Kellogg's cereals.
Speaker 4:Yep and toilet paper.
Speaker 3:You want to keep throwing that toilet paper. I like wiping my butt with that Toilet paper is very important to you.
Speaker 4:It is very important to me. I went like in 2019.
Speaker 3:Without toilet paper.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we were in a shortage, I think it was 20. Whatever, we were in a shortage.
Speaker 3:See, we always stock up on that. It's one of those stupid things I hate going to the store for.
Speaker 4:You were the reason we had no toilet paper. You stocked up on it. Yeah, probably, probably.
Speaker 3:I'm not ashamed of it. Okay, I do it all the time I'm prepared. That's what it is. I'm prepared, oh, prepared. Yeah, I knew that one day I'm going to have to shit and there'd be no toilet paper. So I said, hey, I'm getting toilet paper.
Speaker 4:You know what I said, what there might be one day I have to shit. You know what I'm going to get? A good shower, no, a California burrito. That's not going to help anybody. Well, it'll help me shit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it certainly will. All right, let's see what else we have. We have all kinds of stuff. We do have all kinds of stuff here. Let's see Books. Remember Roots, roots, alex Yep Haley was published, a monumental work in African-American literature in US history. The movie was pretty damn good too. Watch that in school. Yep, stephen King's cool. Yep, stephen King's Carrie Carrie, freaky movie.
Speaker 4:Yes, Carrie is a scary movie.
Speaker 3:Didn't all the blood at the end bother you? No, not really, is it when she freaked out? No, well, she had blood poured on her.
Speaker 4:Okay, wait a minute. Are we talking about Carrie?
Speaker 3:or my honeymoon, my honeymoon, miscellaneous cultural trends, oh, roller discos and skating rinks. Now I'm going to be honest I never roller skated. I did Never, never did I roller skate. I did roller skate, I skated, I skated, never roller skated in my life.
Speaker 4:I've never ice skated.
Speaker 3:But you roller skated, but I roller skated.
Speaker 4:But you're from up north, where they ice skate and hockey and all that.
Speaker 3:We had roller skating rinks up there. We had Smiley Kansas. We had roller skating rinks.
Speaker 4:I don't know why, I just never got into it. We had a Halloween party one time and this girl had a big old party at the roller skating rink. She invited all of us. I remember getting in a fight with this boy. He was a clown. I remember getting in a fight with this boy. He was a clown. I was the Hulk. Was he Charlie Brown? Nope, he was a clown, just a clown, just a regular clown, not Charlie Brown, charlie Brown. Yeah, he was a clown, but not this guy. But I was the Hulk Hulk Hogan or Green Hulk, green Hulk Hulk Hogan or Green Hulk, green Hulk. Okay, and what caused the issue was when we bobbed for apples, I was nobody. I was nobody then because all my green stuff washed off my face and he made fun of me and we got in a fight. So you looked ridiculous, I did, and we got in this fight and, yeah, it was sad.
Speaker 3:Sad, yeah, sad. Kasami was in full swing. Ah, yes, we were. The band was everywhere. Well, we just talked about two albums out one year.
Speaker 4:Right, and we talked about how they had bubble gum with the little cards that you made a picture of Little Gene Simmons.
Speaker 3:If there's anything he can sell, he'll sell it.
Speaker 4:Yes, Well, he's Jew Shh. Nope, Can't say that.
Speaker 3:We're going to take that out. Yep, all right, you light up my?
Speaker 4:life. I'm surprised that I figured that out, but anyway, yes, I do. Well, not you.
Speaker 3:It's a song. Oh yeah, sentimental songs and patriotism was woven throughout entertainment. A miniseries format on TV started thanks to Rich man Poor man I remember my mother watched that and Roots, as we just discussed. So that's that stuff We'll get into movies. Let's get to the movies. Now let's get to TV and films, and then I'll get into my music Lonesome Dove. That was later, I know, but miniseries.
Speaker 4:It was a miniseries. It was what a bunch of crock. Why would they make something like that, isn't? That Kenny Rogers he is somebody or something, tom Selleck I don't Speaking of. Kenny he had a 1976 pit and the Gambler. That was a good song 1976. That's a good story song.
Speaker 3:Bingo. So, anyways, let's go to TV and film moments. Rocky, released in December of 76, it became a cultural juggernaut and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. All the President's Men reflected ongoing national mistrust. Post-watergate Remember that Robert Redford movie? I saw that. Oh yeah, charlie's Angels, ah, the original Charlie's Angels people yeah, not Farrah Fawcett, kate Jackson. And how can I think of the other girl's?
Speaker 4:name ever, because she didn't really do anything after that. Well, no, she was hot too.
Speaker 3:Well, she was hot, too Well, she was hot, but she didn't do anything after that. Anyways, Laverne and Shirley debuted. They just spin out from Happy Days. Oh, you remember how?
Speaker 4:hot they were.
Speaker 3:I don't think they were really hot.
Speaker 4:Well, why'd you remember them and not the other chick from Shirley's?
Speaker 3:age, because I'm looking at their names, it's right there, laverne and Shirley, I got you. It's telling me, I got you. Roots was filmed in 76 to premiere early in 1977. Right, because the book was out in 76. Sure, and this I did not know. The Muppet Show premiered in the UK in 76 and in US syndication the same year. It started in the UK, yeah, that blows my mind.
Speaker 4:I wonder if it's because of Mr Snuffleup? Nope, that was Sesame Street. Never mind, never mind. I'm getting my young youth shows mixed up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, well, hey, it happens, it was a long time ago. It was a long time ago. Yeah, it was Now. I want to get in some of the music. Well, there's a lot here that I like. I'm not going to elaborate on a lot of them, I'm just going to kind of tell you which ones and why I like your high spots. Boston Yep the whole album More than a feeling when that came out that blew my mind. No exaggeration there either. More than a feeling, something about you, peace of mind.
Speaker 4:On, and, on, and on.
Speaker 3:Peter Frampton came out. I remember this girl in school talking about a title Frampton Comes Alive. You got to hear it and she's right. The songs on Frampton Comes Alive are awesome. My brother liked Peter Frampton. Peter Frampton, you know good music. I made fun of it for a while, but she got me on the right track.
Speaker 3:You made fun of it because your buddies made fun of it, not because you really listened, no, I think because I looked at the guy and I said, really, I kind of looked at him and said, yeah, then, once I heard his guitar playing, I was like okay, Eagles. We talked about this at Hotel California.
Speaker 4:Scared shit right out of me.
Speaker 3:Life in the Fast Lane. Another good song off that album Aerosmith Rocks. Now, I didn't get into this album in 76. 77, I was at school. Right Bought the album. I told you the story Right Library. You get to go in and study whatever it was. You had a turntable, you could put the album on headphones. You get to go in and study whatever it was. You had a turntable, you could put the album on headphones. You do your school work and sit there and listen to records. 45 minutes of that was awesome. So that's where rock came in and my big one that you'll laugh at, tom Rush 2112. Concept album blew me away. I've never heard stuff like that. Yeah, I know you make fun of it, I still say it away. I've never heard stuff like that. Yeah, I know you make fun of it, I still say it. It's music for nerds. But that album to me, 2112, fly by Night from Rush is good, but 2112 will always be my top album from Rush.
Speaker 4:Rush has their moments.
Speaker 3:And, like I said, the list goes on. These are the albums that I freaking love. Boys of Coal, Agents of Fortune Don't Fear the Reaper. Come on man, Don't Fear the Reaper. Thin Lizzy Jailbreak my first Thin Lizzy album that I bought.
Speaker 1:That came out.
Speaker 3:I bought that just because the boys are back in town. That's the only reason I bought that album. Tom Petty, because American Girl was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Yep, ac, dc, high Voltage. I didn't listen to that until the year after. But again, bon Scott, awesome Yep, kiss, rock and roll over in Detroit Rock City.
Speaker 4:Everything was Kiss A destroyer, I mean.
Speaker 3:Those two albums to me. Bob Seger is another one, when he first came out with Night Moves.
Speaker 4:Bob Seger was the shit. I mean again just talk Like a rock man.
Speaker 3:We're just talking about these songs. This is songs I grew up listening to. Even from that year, I kept playing them my whole teen years. These are the songs I listened to Queen Day at the Races. They had Somebody to Love. That was a good song. Steve Miller Band Take the Money and Run.
Speaker 4:Oh, come on, Take the.
Speaker 3:Money and Run Great song. Another band I get into which is kind of symphonic rock Electric Legged Orchestra, yellow, gotta love them Runaways. When I bought the Queens of Noise album, oh yeah, I'm like what the hell is this group? I saw these hot chicks on this album and it kicks ass. So anyway, those are just a list. There's more, but those are my top and to this day still love all these songs. Heck yeah. But again, this is starting to get into the soundtrack of my youth.
Speaker 4:Yep, this is why this is getting close to me too. 10 years old. It's great when you hit 10 to 13, you're starting to just understand life and everything, and music is a big part of that.
Speaker 3:A huge part of that Music is a big part of that, tom, and you know to this day some of these songs I can listen to and think back of with well, I don't know what kind of song, let's say any song it could be with a girl. You were with your friends partying. What you were going through at the time, you know it's all kinds kinds of.
Speaker 4:This song jogs this memory. This song jogs that memory. Chicago, 1976. Chicago had a big song that was later on played it like these high school gym dances that you go to, and it was a big part of your life. Which one was it? Color my world? Which one Was it Color my World? No, 25 or 64? No, it was something slow Color.
Speaker 3:My World is a slow Chicago song.
Speaker 4:I played that at school dances when I was in school, yeah, but when I was younger it was a little different, but anyways. Yeah, I'll get to them, I'll understand what they are. They come out and everything. But yeah, that was your first time holding a girl that wasn't your cousin or your neighbor or some stupid joke, you know Right, and you're like, wow, this is really happening.
Speaker 3:No, and that's what I mean, especially like for me being 13,. This was junior high and, anyways, I love this episode. I do too. This was junior high and, anyways, love this episode, I do too.
Speaker 4:I think this is great. It's bringing us back.
Speaker 3:Awesome episode, but I think on that point, on that note, I will probably call it quits right now, unless you got something else to add there, my friend.
Speaker 4:I don't believe that I have anything left. 76 was a great year.
Speaker 3:It was a great year that started everything pretty much, at least for me.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm stepping into my pre-teen years and it's 10. I'm going to be 10 years old, coming up and all these songs from all my siblings are just running through my head.
Speaker 3:No, and that's why we're doing this, and I'm excited this is actually jogging more memories.
Speaker 4:When I was nine, I was sure, I was absolutely sure, I was going to be a rock star by now.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 4:Well, I'm not Not a big rock singer with golden fingers no. Not really. I mean, I've got gold fingers, but they're pulling boxes. Most of it because I have golden gloves that I wear on my fingers.
Speaker 3:Oh, so that's how you keep your hand so smooth.
Speaker 4:My hands aren't smooth. Okay, there, anyways.
Speaker 3:So anyways, tom, tell our listeners listen to us Spotify, iheartradio, amazon Music, deezer FM, deepcast FM, our Buzzsprout site and, most importantly, our website, mtalpodcom. Leave a message. There's a little microphone on the bottom right-hand side. Leave a message. There's a little microphone on the bottom right-hand side. Leave a message. You'll be at Incognito. We want to hear from you people what you would like to hear. Not only will you be Incognito, but nobody will know who you are.
Speaker 4:Yeah what he said. Anyway, I would like to thank God for the gift of gab always.
Speaker 3:Always, tom and everybody take care. God bless and later.
Speaker 2:Well, that's it for another award-losing episode of the MT Alternative Podcast, where Mike and Tom bravely continue their mission to convince the world that their musical opinions from 1970-whatever still matter. Inspiring stuff, truly. Next week, the boys take a deep dive okay, more like a cautious wade into the magical year of 1977. Expect disco, dad rock and an unhealthy amount of sentimental sighing about songs that haven't been on the charts since Carter was president. Oh and yes, ugh, pip and Squeak will also return to the show, no doubt to bring their usual brand of chaos, complaints and rodent-level wisdom to the proceedings, because what this podcast really needed was more unhinged commentary from creatures with no concept of copyright law. Don't forget, you can catch this trainwreck of audio excellence on Deepcast FM, deezer FM, buzzsprout, iheart, amazon Music, spotify Music and, of course, the one and only mtultpodcom, which is somehow still live Until next time. I'm Presenter, daniel, reminding you that nostalgia isn't what it used to be, and neither are Mike and Tom. Goodbye.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
