Music You Could Dance To

I have always had a knack for remembering things that no one else can remember, but lately I find myself searching for a name or a clue to where I might find that something I put away and can't seem to locate. I have a theory about all of this. I think my brain cells are stacked up something like all that paperwork on my desk. Over the years I have learned so much that the one memory I am looking for is stuck somewhere near the bottom of the stack and it just takes my brain awhile to dig back through all the cells piled on top of it before it comes to the surface.

I don't seem to have that problem with the words to all the songs I learned way back in the 50's and the 60's. I keep my car radio, and my office radio, set on the oldies station for eastern Iowa and amaze myself daily by singing almost every word to the hundreds of songs they manage to dredge from their archives.

(By the way, I love the tag line for this station, "All oldies, all the time--turn us up loud and embarrass your kids.")

If you have forgotten the words, or the signature artist/group for some of your favorite music, you might find some memories at some of the links at the bottom of the page.

******************

How many of these can YOU answer?

1. "Kookie; Kookie. Lend me your ________________."

2. The "battle cry" of the hippies in the sixties was "Turn on; tune in;________________."

3. After the Lone Ranger saved the day and rode off into the sunset, the grateful citizens would ask, "Who was that masked man?" Invariably, someone would answer, "I don't know, but he left this behind." What did he leave behind? .

4. Folk songs were played side by side with rock and roll. One of the most memorable folk songs included these lyrics: "When the rooster crows at the break of dawn, look out your window and I'll be gone. You're the reason I'm traveling on, __________________________________________.

5. A group of protesters arrested at the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968 achieved cult status, and were known as the ________________.

6. When the Beatles first came to the U.S. in early 1964, we all watched them on the ________________show.

7. Some of us who protested the Vietnam war did so by burning our ________________.

8. We all learned to read using the same books. We read about the thrilling lives and adventures of Dick and Jane. What was the name of Dick and Jane's dog?

9. The cute, little car with the engine in the back and the trunk (what there was of it) in the front, was called the VW. What other name(s) did it go by?

10. A Broadway musical and movie gave us the gang names the ________________and the ________________.

11. In the seventies, we called the drop-out nonconformists "hippies." But in the mid to late fifties, they were known as ________________.

12. William Bendix played Chester A. Riley, who always seemed to get the short end of the stick in the television program, "The Life of Riley." At the end of each show, poor Chester would turn to the camera and exclaim, "What a ________________."

13. "Get your kicks, ________________."

14. "The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed ________________."

15. The real James Bond, Sean Connery, mixed his martinis a special way: ________________.

16. "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, ________________."

17. That "adult" book by Henry Miller - the one that contained all the "dirty" dialogue - was called ________________.

18. Today, the math geniuses in school might walk around with a calculator strapped to their belt. But back in the sixties, members of the math club used a ____________.

19. In 1971, singer Don Maclean sang a song about "the day the music died." This was a reference and tribute to ________________.

20. A well-known television commercial featured a driver who was miraculously lifted through thin air and into the front seat of a convertible. The matching slogan was "Let Hertz ________________."

21. After the twist, the mashed potatoes, and the watusi, we "danced" under a stick that was lowered as low as we could go in a dance called the ________________.

22. "N-E-S-T-L-E-S; Nestles makes the very best . . . _________."

23. In the late sixties, the "full figure" style of Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe gave way to the "trim" look, as first exemplified by British model ________________.

24. Sachmo was America's "ambassador of goodwill." Our parents shared this great jazz trumpet player with us. His name was ________________.

25. On Jackie Gleason's variety show in the sixties, one of the most popular segments was "Joe, the Bartender." Joe's regular visitor at the bar was that slightly off-center, but lovable character, ________________. (The character's name, not the actor's.)

26. We can remember the first satellite placed into orbit. The Russians did it; it was called ________________.

27. What takes a licking and keeps on ticking?

28. One of the big fads of the late fifties and sixties was a large plastic ring that we twirled around our waist; it was called the ________________.

29. The "Age of Aquarius" was brought into the mainstream in the Broadway musical ________________.

30. This is a two-parter: Red Skelton's hobo character (not the hayseed; the hobo) was ________________. Red ended his television show by saying, "Good night, and ________________."

1. "Kookie; Kookie; lend me your comb." If you said "ears," you're in the wrong millennium, pal; you've spent way too much time in Latin class.

2. The "battle cry" of the hippies in the sixties was "Turn on; tune in; drop out." Many people who proclaimed that 30 years ago today are Wall Street bond traders and corporate lawyers.

3. The Lone Ranger left behind a silver bullet. Several of you said he left behind his mask. Oh, no; even off the screen, Clayton Moore would not be seen as the Lone Ranger without his mask!

4. "When the rooster crows at the break of dawn, look out your window and I'll be gone. You're the reason I'm traveling on; Don't think twice, it's all right."

5. The group of protesters arrested at the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968 were known as the Chicago seven. As Paul Harvey says, "They would like me to mention their names."

6. When the Beatles first came to the U.S. in early 1964, we all watched them on the Ed Sullivan Show.

7. Some of us who protested the Vietnam war did so by burning our draft cards. If you said "bras," you've got the right spirit, but nobody ever burned a bra while I was watching. The "bra burning" days came as a by-product of women's liberation movement, which had nothing directly to do with the Vietnam war.

8. Dick and Jane's dog was Spot. "See Spot run." Whatever happened to them? Rumor has it they have been replaced in some school systems by "Heather Has Two Mommies."

9. It was the VW Beetle, or more affectionately, the Bug.

10. A Broadway musical and movie gave us the gang names the Sharks and the Jets. West Side Story.

11. In the early sixties, the drop-out, non-conformists were known as beatniks. Maynard G. Krebs was the classic beatnik, except that he had no rhythm, man; a beard, but no beat.

12. At the end of "The Life of Riley," Chester would turn to the camera and exclaim, "What a revolting development this is."

13. "Get your kicks, on Route 66."

14. "The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent."

15. The real James Bond, Sean Connery, mixed his martinis a special way: shaken, not stirred.

16. "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight."

17. That "adult" book by Henry Miller was called Tropic of Cancer. Today, it would hardly rate a PG-13 rating.

18. Back in the sixties, members of the math club used a slide rule.

19. "The day the music died" was a reference and tribute to Buddy Holly.

20. The matching slogan was "Let Hertz put you in the driver seat."

21. After the twist, the mashed potatoes, and the watusi, we "danced" under a stick in a dance called the Limbo.

22. "N-E-S-T-L-E-S; Nestles makes the very best........... chooooo-c'late." In the television commercial, "chocolate" was sung by a puppet - a dog. (Remember his mouth flopping open and shut?)

23. In the late sixties, the "full figure" style gave way to the "trim" look, as first exemplified by British model Twiggy.

24. Our parents shared this great jazz trumpet player with us. His name was Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong.

25. Joe's regular visitor at the bar was Crazy Googenhiem.

26. The Russians put the first satellite into orbit; it was called Sputnik.

27. What takes a licking and keeps on ticking? A Timex watch.

28. The large plastic ring that we twirled around our waist was called the hula-hoop.

29. The "Age of Aquarius" was brought into the mainstream in the Broadway musical "Hair".

30. Red Skelton's hobo character was Freddie the Freeloader. (Clem Kaddiddlehopper was the "hay seed.") Red ended his television show by saying, "Good night, and may God bless."