Category: History

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History Music Radio

The Major’s Friday Night Disco Party

I grew up on TOP 40 music in the Greater Washington D.C. area during the entire wild and crazy decade that was the 1970s and into the early portion of the 1980s. I listened to such great radio stations as WWDC-AM (1260), WASH-FM (97.1), WPGC (95.5) , WRQX (107.3), and WAVA (105.1).

Years and years of Sunday mornings were spent sitting right next to my transistor radio – listening intently to every single word that Casey Kasem uttered and every single lyric of every single song that he led in to and out of on the original “American Top 40” radio show.

Disco music took over and totally dominated the radio airwaves for a good solid three years starting in 1976, and this preteen kid at the time was caught right in the middle of that revolution. It totally defined our culture of the time.

31 years ago this weekend in July of 1978 this song was making its rapid ascent up Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” countdown. It would eventually reach # 8 and become Barry Manilow’s 5TH gold pop smash in less than 4 years. This – my groovy middle-aged friends – is the “Copacabana” – and it’s the highlight of my ‘Friday Night Disco Party’ tonight !

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Animals Blogging Career Food God History Home Music Travel

Thursday Night Mini Thoughts

– It’s that time of the week again.
– It’s that time where I post whatever comes across my mind in this moment.
– Brace yourself, as the waters could get rather choppy.
– Today was another hectic day at work, and I loved virtually every minute of it.
– I had very little spare time today, as it was all nonstop action and excitement.
– Tomorrow I’m taking a half a day off.
– I’ve got an appointment with my longtime plumber in the afternoon.
– The’re coming over to replace my kitchen sink garbage disposal.
– It totally stopped working several months ago.
– It lasted for over 10 years.
– They will also bring my non-working guest toilet back to life.
– I’ve had the water shut off to it for most of the past decade or so.
– It used to randomly flush all by itself – day and night.
– It was running up my water bills.
– Whatever it costs I want it fixed so that I can actually use it.
– I’ve been eating a lot of bran muffins lately from Publix.
– That last statement has nothing to do with the need for a second toilet.
– One of these days my home will be so presentable I can invite guests over !
– I’m not quite there yet.
– I need an ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’.
– I’ve lived here in this home for over 14 years – and it looks the part.
– Let me just get this on the official record Your Honour.
– I love cats, as they are God’s Creation.
– Fluffy, Barney, and Boots were part of my life from 1983 to 2007.
– Oh yeah – and that mangy yellow cat that lived under my car at the dorm.
– I’m currently retired indefinitely as a cat owner.
– I have no further plans to own any further cats.
– If I took in every cat that’s been offered to me since Boots died then …
– … my home would look like Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West.
– For a few years Boots was my only real friend in the world.
– Boots was visibly dying a slow death during his last few years with me.
– Boots waited until God rescued and saved me before finally passing on.
– The death of Boots symbolized the death of my previous life.
– God replaced Boots with a new Life for me.
– I now have plenty of actual human being friends – courtesy of God.
– Taking in another cat would be like going in reverse in my Life.
– I remember the past, but I’m not going back to it.
– Well these ‘Mini Thoughts’ suddenly got deeply serious this week.
– I didn’t really mean for that to happen.
– That’s how raw and spontaneous these ‘Mini Thoughts’ can get.
– I warned you.
– Tomorrow night I’m throwing a Disco party here on the blog.
– We’re goin’ to the Copa – Copacabana – the hottest spot north of Havana.
– Grab your leisure suit and let’s go !
– You won’t regret it pal.

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Annoyances History Home Internet Music Radio Television

Saturday Night Retro

1999 was a long time ago. It was a decade ago. It was an eternity ago – especially for me in light of my life-changing events of the past 36 months alone.

Back in 1999 on the home technology front I had standard cable television (with Adelphia), standard telephone service (with BellSouth), and standard dial-up Internet service (with Shadow). None of those companies exist today. Nowadays AT&T U-verse delivers all of the modern technology to me.

I had to deal with an untimely and unexpected 15½-hour total outage of my television, telephone, and Internet service from early last night until late this morning. AT&T came out this morning and fixed the problem (outside), and now I’m back in 2009 with all systems a go-go. During the outage my only technological link to the outside world was (believe it or not) my antique cell phone with T-Mobile service. It actually came in quite handy, and it reminded me why I actually have a cell phone in the first place – for emergency situations and pretty much nothing else.

Exactly 10 years ago this weekend the cool pop group known as LFO (Lyte Funky Ones) debuted on the MASSIVESMASH.COM Weekly Top 40 at # 30. They went on to hit # 1 for 2 weeks, spend 19 weeks on the chart, and become the # 17 hit of the entire year. Nationally it was a U.S. Top 3 platinum smash at retail and pop radio. Rich, Devin, and Brad have recently reunited as LFO again recording and touring the nation, but here’s how they rolled back during the Summer of 1999. It’s all about them “Summergirls”:

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History Music People Radio

The Major’s Friday Night Disco Party

We sure knew how to party back in 1976 – the year of our U.S. Bicentennial. We turned 200 on July 04TH of that year, but we didn’t look a day over 175 !

Disco music was still growing up during the Summer of 1976, and 26-year-old Memphis Tennessee Radio Deejay Rick Dees (one of my personal all-time ‘American Idols’) decided that the time was right to gather his ‘Cast Of Idiots’ together in a recording studio and lay down that track all about that ‘Disco Duck’. It went on to become a U.S. # 1 platinum retail and pop radio smash later that year, and the whole nation was quacking up a storm out on the dance floors.

So you think you can dance the duck ?  Give it a shot !