Friday, December 19, 2014

Billboard magazine, 1965: Girls Want the Airwaves, Dylan's Sensational, and Conigliaro Sings!

It's time for another stroll through the evocative advertisements of Billboard, this time the heady Spring of 1965. (I took a look at a few 1966 Billboard ads here.)

Dave Clark Five and Sam The Sham and The Pharaohs were rocking, and hawking some killer tunes.

The women were out in the streets and demanding the airwaves.

Meanwhile, this guy was peaking.
The Wurlitzer "Remote Speaker Wall Box" was promising unity and love between besotted couples. Wonder which song they argued about? Dylan or Sam the Sham?
These are my two favorites: an ad for Boston Red Six outfielder Tony Conigliaro's single "Why They Don't Understand." In the spring of 1965 Coniglaro was in his second season, during which he'd lead the league in home runs, becoming the youngest home run champion in American League history. In 1967 Conigliaro was hit in the face by a pitch, a brutal setback to his promising career. A year and a half later, he clubbed 20 homers and knocked in 82 RBI to earn the Comeback Player of the Year award. In 1970, he reached career-high numbers in HRs (36) and RBI (116).

Last but not least we have an awesome example of an earlier era's pre-Politically Correct ad for celebrating drinking and driving, via Dave "Six Days On The Road" Dudley and his latest, "Two Six Packs Away." From what?



5 comments:

M_Sharp said...

I didn't know Tony C was a singer. I saved the Sports Illustrated cover with him & his black eye for a long time.

Rich Allen's "Echoes Of November" has to be one of the best recordings by a pro athlete.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJDDs7ohpJk

Two six packs away from vehicular manslaughter, I suppose.

Joe Bonomo said...

Exactly...

Anonymous said...

lots of inside baseball on that Shangri-La's ad. Howard Bedno was a legendary Chicago record promotor/label owner. His company stickers are on lots of my 45's.

Plus I just discovered that the Riviera's "H.B. Goose Step" flip- side of "California Sun" was dedicated to Howard. I always wondered what HB stood for.....

Joe Bonomo said...

I did too, Anon, thanks! I just picked up that 45 the other day.

Beatle Bob said...

Despite the fact that the DC5's record label, Epic, taking out a full-page ad plugging "Reelin' And Rockin'',Billboard Magazine thought the flip side,'"I'm Thinking" the A-side when it was reviewed in the April 10, 1965 issue of Billboard Magazine in their "Spotlight Singles" column. It was one of 133 singles reviewed for that week. Here was their review: "Top side is a hard-driving rocker taken from their hit LP "Week-End In London." On the flip side the group proves their feel for the blues with a revival of Chuck Berry's swinger. Two powerful sides." Like their UK rivals, The Beatles, the Dave Clark Five cut excellent interpretations of R&B and classic R&R hits. However their cover version of "Reelin' And Rockin'" is not even close to the Chuck Berry original. One of Mike's weakest vocals, largely because he never finds the right groove for this song. The arrangement is sloppy and has the sound of a last-minute decision . . . a bad one. It would peak at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, which ended their streak of eight consecutive Top 20 hits.