1965: This was the day that legendary promoter Bill Graham (Fillmore East, Fillmore West) staged his first rock concert a benefit for the San Francisco Mime Troupe at the Calliope Ballroom starring the Jefferson Airplane. He would open the Fillmore one year later. 
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Every week, we present “ROCK REMEMBERED,” a deep dive into the hidden history of rock & roll, the stories behind the artists and songs that changed the world. Join host “Boomtown Bill” Cross each Wednesday at 7 pm (Eastern) with an encore broadcast on Saturday at noon (Eastern).
Join us this Saturday as we explore "The Life & Music of Eddie Cochran!"
The popular 1960s cartoon The Flintstones became a hit around the world but was not well received by one of television’s most iconic actors of all time, Jackie Gleason. According to Alan Reed Jr. (son of Alan Reed, who voiced Fred Flintstone), The Flintstones was inspired by The Honeymooners, Fred taking on the short-tempered and overbearing characteristics of Gleason’s vociferous Ralph Kramden while Barney’s rather goofy nature was modeled on Art Carney’s Ed Norton.
Gleason was none too pleased that the modern stone-age family was patterned after his beloved show and contemplated suing the creators of the cartoon. Although Gleason’s lawyers informed the actor that he could have The Flintstones canceled, they cautioned him that he would be known as “the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air.” Understanding that many children and parents would be saddened, Gleason ultimately decided to let bygones be bygones.
I think I dated her in college...
Most of us know that virtually all of Simon & Garfunkel’s hits of the late 60s and early 70s were written by Paul Simon, but did you know one of their very biggest not only wasn’t a Paul Simon composition, but actually counts Art Garfunkel as one of the song’s creators?
As a matter of fact, the tune lent its lyrical refrain to the duo’s iconic 3rd album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme. Yep, the tune is one of the pair’s signature songs, “Scarborough Fair/Canticle.”
The origins of the tune go all the way back to the 50s – the 1250s, that is. That’s when King Henry VIII signed a charter that began the tradition of an annual 45-day fair in the seaside town of Scarborough – running from mid-August through the end of September. In those days, a fair was not at all like the fairs we attend today. Back then, a fair was an enormous open air trading market. It attracted merchants from far and wide who displayed their wares for sale or trade.
The tune that bears the name of the fair arrived sometime around 1300. Obviously, the original author is now unknown. And as was also the tradition of the time, balladeers who sang it often changed the words, added verses or altered the tune as it passed from singer to singer.
The song tells of a jilted lover who is angry. He or she is telling their former lover that if they desire a reconciliation, there are some things they’ll have to do. Of course, the most obvious is that they must travel to the Scarborough Fair. While there, the singer asks them to perform tasks that are totally impossible – make a shirt with no seams or needlework, find an acre of dry land between the ocean and the shore, reap that land with leather (totally unsuited for such a task) and gather it with heather (a flower small & delicate and not up to being used to bind anything).
Basically, it’s tune telling a past love to get lost. The herbs mentioned – the famous parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme, in that bygone era, were all thought to have properties that could heal a broken heart.
Okay, so where does Art Garfunkel come in? When we listen to the tune, there are actually two melodies that entwine during the verses. The first is the English folk ballad, “Scarborough Fair,” the other carries lyrics that are distinctly about war, not love. That second anti-war tune was written by Art Garfunkel in 1963 – first as a song called “The Side of the Hill” and then reworked as “Canticle” to provide the counterpoint to “Scarborough Fair.”
Paul did have an important part to play. After the pair’s initial album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. tanked, Paul relocated to England to see if he could establish a solo career over there. While there in 1965, he was introduced to the folk song “Scarborough Fair” by British singer, Martin Cathy. Cathy also came up with the idea to include “Canticle” as part of the song.
Shortly thereafter, a version of Simon’s “Sounds of Silence” with rock instruments added became a huge hit back in the States. Paul quickly returned to reunite with Artie, now as a rock act. While the song was well-received as an album track, it wasn’t until it was used as one of the main themes to Dustin Hoffman’s breakout film, The Graduate that it really became the monster hit that we all know today.
How dark is your bedroom when you sleep? Believe it or not, if it’s not dark enough, it might cause you back pain!
Even when we sleep, our bodies can detect the amount of light in our surroundings. If there’s too much light, we don’t get the kind of deep sleep our bodies need. Sleep helps relax our muscles, especially our back muscles. It also gets rid of lactic acid, which contributes to back pain. On top of all that, the less sleep we get, the more susceptible we are to feeling pain. Add all of that up and lack of sleep can be a significant contributor to chronic back pain.
Make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible.