The only thing I related to in this is sneaking into multiple movies in the theater! 😜 I used to do that all the time - pay for one movie, then watch several!
I love Star Wars, but I was only five when the first one came out, so I’m not sure when I got hooked.
Loved "Star Wars" (I was 22 in '77), but only saw the first two, and never obsessed about it, or bought action figures or collector cards. As for War, I dug their hits, but never had or bought any albums (Dad never brought home promo albums on United Artists).
BTW, the Jerry Goldstein who co-wrote (with War) the lyrics on "Low Rider," was one of The Strangeloves ("I Want Candy"), co-wrote both The Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back," and one of my fave pop songs of the '60s, "Come on Down to My Boat" by Every Mother's Son.
DANGER: Full Nerdity ahead! Kindly usher any kids out of the room!
I'm glad you mentioned Lou Adler's role in "Up in Smoke"'s production....yep, Lou directed, as well as co-produced. Why is a record exec directing a movie? Well, ya see.......C&C's first 5 albums were released on Lou's very own Ode Records! He founded Ode in 1967, where the label was distributed by A&M Records from '70-'78 (the years I knew of Ode best). Ode's first 3 years found them distributed by Epic/CBS Records.
C&C jumped from Ode/A&M in '78, and into the paws of the Label of The Bunny, Warner Bros....hence the label you find the "Up in Smoke" soundtrack! You'll notice this pronouncement on the vinyl's clearly-marked Warner Bros. label (with classic WB shield): "Produced under the direction of Ode Sounds & Visuals," Adler's original full name of his label since Day 1.
Curiously, Warners also took ownership of C&C's previous '70s Ode product....had to have been a deal made with Lou and then-Warner boss, Mo Ostin. All previous C&C product, then, was pressed with Warner Bros. labels and logos, even into the CD-laden '80s.
And, now you know the rest of the story........and knowing's half.......oh, who are we kidding? Knowing's roughly 73% (call it 3-quarters) of the battle! Thanks, Steve!!!
Yeah, I figured Lou Adler was connected to their albums as well, but never looked it up! Why would I, when I have you? I thought the direction was quite good for (I imagine) a first time director (albeit one with connections up the wazoo).
And thanks for the Jerry Goldstein info too! I ran into a friend today who is a crazy collector and told me he has most of the Star Wars cards to this day! He was impressed with my Charlie's Angels cards. But said none of them are worth anything, in case I thought they were.
The 'like' button doesn't do justice to this article. I LOVED Star Wars when it came out - my uncle took me as a 7 year old to see it in 1977 and it - literally - changed my life. Previously, it'd only been Star Trek and Space 1999, but SW suddenly blew those occasional shows away. (Full disclaimer: when it comes to sheer storytelling, the original Star Trek trumps (sorry for that word) Star Wars any day.) And I really don't think it's the same to be a Harry Potter or Percy Jackson fan - I don't think kids these days fully appreciate the importance of these things when there was nothing else available.
Thanks, Bryan! I think that it's much tougher to create media that captivates a generation now, with endless amounts of content on an endless number of platforms vying for everyone's attention. Maybe that's why movies are essentially sequels to stuff that existed before social media and the like. I
Agreed! And rarely do sequels or - even worse - remakes work. I think one of the best sequels ever was Empire Strikes Back - and my contender for the best of those films. And definitely a pre-social media movie!
Me too, Dan! I am compiling a top 13 films list for an upcoming post and Annie Hall is on the list. Despite all the Woody Allen stuff, that film shaped who I’d become more than any other.
I don't know how you manage to hold onto so many threads at a time! I was brushed by C&C, War, and Star Wars at various times. Unlike you, I AM a space cadet, and from that standpoint, I liked Star Wars ok but it was far from the most compelling thing in the broader genre. Lots of people who became obsessive fans were not people who generally cared about science fiction. Just the way most readers of Harry Potter were not actually serious readers of fantasy literature. I was also clueless about baseball cards, but if I'd been into them I'm sure I would have been a total nerd too!
Thanks, Charles! I don't know any other way than to juggle threads and hope it becomes a wearable piece of clothing!:) There are indeed many ways to be a nerd -- I think I was just obsessive about baseball and statistics and my OCD was able to express itself via the cards. I kept detailed lists of every player and position and stat in a notebook too.
I gave Edwin Starr a shoutout in a heading “War, what are they good for, absolutely everything.” But it does make me want to write about Edwin in the future!
"My mama talkin' to me/She tell me how to live/But I don't listen to her/My brain is like a sieve." Never forgotten those lyrics from Up In Smoke's hilarious punk moment! My brother (six years older) had Big Bambu, which we all enjoyed and my mom dropped me (13) and my sister (15) to see the flick in Pittsfield, MA - we loved it! I liked Star Wars, but not enough to see it more than once - and I knew it was inferior to Star Trek. As for War, so many good songs...Lowrider might be my favorite but I also love Slippin' Into Darkness, Me and Baby Brother, and The World Is A Ghetto.
I love that your mom dropped you and your sister off to an R-rated movie! I assume she went into the theater first with you and then left, unless you had a theater that didn’t enforce the age requirement. “Earache My Eye” is a stone-cold classic. C&C never got the props they deserved as musicians who could play literally any genre.
I don't remember the mechanics of it, but after 13 my parents were quite liberal in what they let us see. Before that it was a different story - I remember my mom sending me to bed when West Side Story was on because she didn't want me to see the "gang violence" LOL! The streets where we lived were more violent than that movie...
I love this post, Steve. It's a great trip down memory lane. And, as we are close in age I remember all too well the Star Wars craze and sneaking into R-rated films as a kid. It was SO easy!
I also love War. Well, I should clarify that personally I love the War albums that Eric Burdon didn't coopt himself into. I know that I am probably in the minority saying that, but those records seem more about Eric needing some sort of street cred and they feel awkward for him and War. That said, I have read interviews where they credit Eric for guiding them and making the band who they would eventually become (after Eric's departure). So, the union was perhaps necessary.
My personal favorite War LP, however, is their s/t 1st record from 1971 with the glorious "Sun oh Son" and the double Live LP from 1972 also smokes. But, one can't go wrong with the first half dozen, or so War albums.
Thanks, Michael. I am going to have to play the ST album this weekend. It’s been way too long. I have every War album up through Galaxy. Though to be honest, the only one I’ve played in full in over a decade is The World is a Ghetto. I like the Burdon albums but not in the same way once he left. He did have a way of taking up more space than he needed to.
I used to listen to my dad’s Cheech and Chong records late at night all the time. Nobody I knew was talking about these hilarious sketch comedy albums. I felt like I’d stumbled onto a secret cool thing. My budding young comedy mind was enthralled.
Growing up on a large mostly wooded property in a single wide trailer with an acre sized back yard, my parents would throw these annual summer bbq parties. My dad would bring his stereo setup outside and put on his favorite records. I have vivid memories of playing volleyball while “Why Can’t We Be Friends” was blasting. And of course “Low Rider.” Two very fucking cool and nostalgic songs.
I'm so happy to hear that C&C are/were getting played beyond the 20th century! I am assuming this was post 2000....Maybe they can have a resurgence! Maybe they already are, as I'm clueless as to what is getting repurposed.
Ah, Cheech and Chong. Allow me a trip down memory lane.
I bought "Big Bambu" when it was released. Inside the album sleeve there was a gigantic rolling paper which, at my age and life path at the time, I put to good use!
That was a time where idiot humor was part of teen culture. "Up in Smoke" ... "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" ... "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" ... "Blazing Saddles." Now, 50 years on, still funny to people my age. Unfortunately, all belong to the "they couldn't make it today" cinema zeitgeist.
Ha! Thanks, Jim. Yeah, I actually have the first 5 Cheech and Chong albums. And the giant rolling paper is still inside Big Bambu! Knowing what a stoner I was, this is a huge shock….
War is one of my favorite bands of all time. They borrowed from all the cultural influences around them to create a sound that was truly and uniquely theirs alone.
The only thing I related to in this is sneaking into multiple movies in the theater! 😜 I used to do that all the time - pay for one movie, then watch several!
I love Star Wars, but I was only five when the first one came out, so I’m not sure when I got hooked.
“Low Rider” is one of these songs that always makes the corners of your mouth go up ☺︎
Loved "Star Wars" (I was 22 in '77), but only saw the first two, and never obsessed about it, or bought action figures or collector cards. As for War, I dug their hits, but never had or bought any albums (Dad never brought home promo albums on United Artists).
BTW, the Jerry Goldstein who co-wrote (with War) the lyrics on "Low Rider," was one of The Strangeloves ("I Want Candy"), co-wrote both The Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back," and one of my fave pop songs of the '60s, "Come on Down to My Boat" by Every Mother's Son.
DANGER: Full Nerdity ahead! Kindly usher any kids out of the room!
I'm glad you mentioned Lou Adler's role in "Up in Smoke"'s production....yep, Lou directed, as well as co-produced. Why is a record exec directing a movie? Well, ya see.......C&C's first 5 albums were released on Lou's very own Ode Records! He founded Ode in 1967, where the label was distributed by A&M Records from '70-'78 (the years I knew of Ode best). Ode's first 3 years found them distributed by Epic/CBS Records.
C&C jumped from Ode/A&M in '78, and into the paws of the Label of The Bunny, Warner Bros....hence the label you find the "Up in Smoke" soundtrack! You'll notice this pronouncement on the vinyl's clearly-marked Warner Bros. label (with classic WB shield): "Produced under the direction of Ode Sounds & Visuals," Adler's original full name of his label since Day 1.
Curiously, Warners also took ownership of C&C's previous '70s Ode product....had to have been a deal made with Lou and then-Warner boss, Mo Ostin. All previous C&C product, then, was pressed with Warner Bros. labels and logos, even into the CD-laden '80s.
And, now you know the rest of the story........and knowing's half.......oh, who are we kidding? Knowing's roughly 73% (call it 3-quarters) of the battle! Thanks, Steve!!!
Yeah, I figured Lou Adler was connected to their albums as well, but never looked it up! Why would I, when I have you? I thought the direction was quite good for (I imagine) a first time director (albeit one with connections up the wazoo).
And thanks for the Jerry Goldstein info too! I ran into a friend today who is a crazy collector and told me he has most of the Star Wars cards to this day! He was impressed with my Charlie's Angels cards. But said none of them are worth anything, in case I thought they were.
The 'like' button doesn't do justice to this article. I LOVED Star Wars when it came out - my uncle took me as a 7 year old to see it in 1977 and it - literally - changed my life. Previously, it'd only been Star Trek and Space 1999, but SW suddenly blew those occasional shows away. (Full disclaimer: when it comes to sheer storytelling, the original Star Trek trumps (sorry for that word) Star Wars any day.) And I really don't think it's the same to be a Harry Potter or Percy Jackson fan - I don't think kids these days fully appreciate the importance of these things when there was nothing else available.
Sneaking into theatres - a rite of passage.
Thanks, Bryan! I think that it's much tougher to create media that captivates a generation now, with endless amounts of content on an endless number of platforms vying for everyone's attention. Maybe that's why movies are essentially sequels to stuff that existed before social media and the like. I
Agreed! And rarely do sequels or - even worse - remakes work. I think one of the best sequels ever was Empire Strikes Back - and my contender for the best of those films. And definitely a pre-social media movie!
I didn’t love Star Wars! I thought it was just okay when I first saw it in ‘77. I was thrilled that Annie Hall won the Best Picture Oscar!
Me too, Dan! I am compiling a top 13 films list for an upcoming post and Annie Hall is on the list. Despite all the Woody Allen stuff, that film shaped who I’d become more than any other.
Absolutely! It changed how I viewed what films can do! Looking forward to seeing your list!
I don't know how you manage to hold onto so many threads at a time! I was brushed by C&C, War, and Star Wars at various times. Unlike you, I AM a space cadet, and from that standpoint, I liked Star Wars ok but it was far from the most compelling thing in the broader genre. Lots of people who became obsessive fans were not people who generally cared about science fiction. Just the way most readers of Harry Potter were not actually serious readers of fantasy literature. I was also clueless about baseball cards, but if I'd been into them I'm sure I would have been a total nerd too!
Thanks, Charles! I don't know any other way than to juggle threads and hope it becomes a wearable piece of clothing!:) There are indeed many ways to be a nerd -- I think I was just obsessive about baseball and statistics and my OCD was able to express itself via the cards. I kept detailed lists of every player and position and stat in a notebook too.
War, what is it good for? Oops, wrong band.
I gave Edwin Starr a shoutout in a heading “War, what are they good for, absolutely everything.” But it does make me want to write about Edwin in the future!
"My mama talkin' to me/She tell me how to live/But I don't listen to her/My brain is like a sieve." Never forgotten those lyrics from Up In Smoke's hilarious punk moment! My brother (six years older) had Big Bambu, which we all enjoyed and my mom dropped me (13) and my sister (15) to see the flick in Pittsfield, MA - we loved it! I liked Star Wars, but not enough to see it more than once - and I knew it was inferior to Star Trek. As for War, so many good songs...Lowrider might be my favorite but I also love Slippin' Into Darkness, Me and Baby Brother, and The World Is A Ghetto.
I love that your mom dropped you and your sister off to an R-rated movie! I assume she went into the theater first with you and then left, unless you had a theater that didn’t enforce the age requirement. “Earache My Eye” is a stone-cold classic. C&C never got the props they deserved as musicians who could play literally any genre.
I don't remember the mechanics of it, but after 13 my parents were quite liberal in what they let us see. Before that it was a different story - I remember my mom sending me to bed when West Side Story was on because she didn't want me to see the "gang violence" LOL! The streets where we lived were more violent than that movie...
I love this post, Steve. It's a great trip down memory lane. And, as we are close in age I remember all too well the Star Wars craze and sneaking into R-rated films as a kid. It was SO easy!
I also love War. Well, I should clarify that personally I love the War albums that Eric Burdon didn't coopt himself into. I know that I am probably in the minority saying that, but those records seem more about Eric needing some sort of street cred and they feel awkward for him and War. That said, I have read interviews where they credit Eric for guiding them and making the band who they would eventually become (after Eric's departure). So, the union was perhaps necessary.
My personal favorite War LP, however, is their s/t 1st record from 1971 with the glorious "Sun oh Son" and the double Live LP from 1972 also smokes. But, one can't go wrong with the first half dozen, or so War albums.
Thanks, Michael. I am going to have to play the ST album this weekend. It’s been way too long. I have every War album up through Galaxy. Though to be honest, the only one I’ve played in full in over a decade is The World is a Ghetto. I like the Burdon albums but not in the same way once he left. He did have a way of taking up more space than he needed to.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the S/T record. But, again, for me, it's all about 'Sun Oh Son.' I love that song so much.
Hands down favorite War song was with Eric Burdon: "Spill The Wine!" There's a great YT video of it out there, so check it out. MM
Michael - if notes allowed for photos, I'd share a pic of me holding both War with Eric Burdon albums. So good.
Wait, you can't post photos to Notes? I've done it many times!
Well you can post links to photos but not photos themselves as far as I can tell.
How do you do it?
Little photo icon in lower left corner of Note. I just tagged you on one.
Face palm… I meant to say, adding a photo in the replies to a note.
I used to listen to my dad’s Cheech and Chong records late at night all the time. Nobody I knew was talking about these hilarious sketch comedy albums. I felt like I’d stumbled onto a secret cool thing. My budding young comedy mind was enthralled.
Growing up on a large mostly wooded property in a single wide trailer with an acre sized back yard, my parents would throw these annual summer bbq parties. My dad would bring his stereo setup outside and put on his favorite records. I have vivid memories of playing volleyball while “Why Can’t We Be Friends” was blasting. And of course “Low Rider.” Two very fucking cool and nostalgic songs.
I'm so happy to hear that C&C are/were getting played beyond the 20th century! I am assuming this was post 2000....Maybe they can have a resurgence! Maybe they already are, as I'm clueless as to what is getting repurposed.
I’m sure they are still going strong into this current century! I was a teenager in the 90’s though but close enough!
I just wrote a post on "songs to walk up to the plate at a baseball game," but both "WCWBF" and "Low Rider" would be awesome choices.
Ah, Cheech and Chong. Allow me a trip down memory lane.
I bought "Big Bambu" when it was released. Inside the album sleeve there was a gigantic rolling paper which, at my age and life path at the time, I put to good use!
That was a time where idiot humor was part of teen culture. "Up in Smoke" ... "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" ... "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" ... "Blazing Saddles." Now, 50 years on, still funny to people my age. Unfortunately, all belong to the "they couldn't make it today" cinema zeitgeist.
Also, here's one from "Up in Smoke" you might recall ... "Earache My Eye" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJW67QN24SA
Ha! Thanks, Jim. Yeah, I actually have the first 5 Cheech and Chong albums. And the giant rolling paper is still inside Big Bambu! Knowing what a stoner I was, this is a huge shock….
War is one of my favorite bands of all time. They borrowed from all the cultural influences around them to create a sound that was truly and uniquely theirs alone.
Yep! Truly one of a kind. And an international band of musicians as well! Thanks for reading!