We're all about the history of rock & roll at BoomtownAmerica.com!

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 Wednesday as we relive "Catch a Wave - The Rise & Fall of Surf Music!"

In these days of streaming, mp3 files, and super-expensive vinyl editions of classic albums, most music lovers of today are blissfully unaware of a super-cheap method Baby Boomers used to build their record collections back in the day – the “cut-out” album or 45!

These were older releases that the record labels were “cutting out” of their catalog, meaning the label would no longer press new copies of these recordings because sales had dwindled to extremely low levels. These records were then sold, in bulk to wholesalers, who in turn sold them to record stores or large discount chains (think of the forerunners of Wal-Mart, like Zayres and Arlens).

To prevent retailers from selling these heavily discounted items at full price, the label would disfigure the record in some way before selling them to the wholesalers. For albums, that meant clipping a corner of the LP’s cover, adding a slot to the cover, or even a small metal grommet. For 45s, it usually involved boring a hole right through the single’s label.

At a time when LPs typically were selling for $3 to $4 and singles at $0.79 to $1, cut-outs could come as cheaply as $0.69 for an album and $0.29 for a 45. If you were a savvy rock fan, you could build an impressive collection for literally pennies on the dollar. Nearly every recording act (with the singular exception of the Beatles) had at least some of their catalog hit the cut-out bin at one time or another. Early albums by the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, and Pink Floyd (pre-Dark Side of the Moon) could be found in abundance. Ditto for 45s that featured B-sides that never made it onto an act’s albums.

When computers arrived with software that allowed for easy ripping of CDs along with early music-sharing sites like Napster, the entire notion of paying retail for music became quite quaint, joining the rotary phone, trading stamps, and manual transmissions in oblivion. But among the small group of dedicated vinyl collectors, those cut-out editions are now often worth more than the legitimate full retail copies. Had we only known, we’d have saved a lot of ours.

In 1957, a package of the old, classic monster movies (Frankenstein, Dracula, etc.) was released to local TV stations, touching off a craze for movie monsters that continued strongly through most of the 1960s. Of course, as we grew older, the monsters were played more for laughs than screams. The Addams Family and The Munsters had made their prime-time debuts in 1964.

So, it wasn’t surprising when, just one year later, Saturday mornings got their very own lovable creature feature, Milton the Monster. Milton was the product of the lab of mad scientist, Professor Weirdo, high atop his gloomy mansion on Horror Hill. His clumsy assistant, Count Kook, caused the Professor to add too much of “the tincture of tenderness” to his formula. The result was a totally ineffectual monster who blew clouds of smoke out his sawed-off skull and spoke like Gomer Pyle.

Created and directed by a guy named Hal Seeger, the show followed the format most kiddie cartoons used back in the day – 3 different short cartoons, each starring a different lead character. Unlike most other shows, the line-up of other cartoons rotated between 5 characters. Most episodes featured Fearless Fly (a silly Superman knock-off) as the second feature, but during the show’s run, there were also cartoons featuring Muggy-Doo Boy Fox, Stuffy Durma (a hobo who became a millionaire overnight), Flukey Luke (a detective in an urban setting who was still somehow a cowboy), and Penny Penguin (a young girl mammal with the cuteness factor turned to overload).

Most of the voices for all these features were provided by versatile voice guy, Bob McFadden with the sole exception being Stuffy Durma, where the voice work was handled by Dayton Allen (who also provided the voices for both Heckle & Jeckle among other cartoon characters).

Milton the Monster proved popular enough to remain a part of ABC’s Saturday morning line-up through 1968. The entire series was released on home video by Shout! Factory back in 2007, but has since gone out of print and now commands stiff prices in the second-hand market. There is also a book about the series, Milton the Monster: Horror Hill Epitaph by Kevin Scott Collier, which is still in print.

Summer has always been time for Popsicles.

Believe it or not, this popular frozen treat really was invented by a kid. One night in 1905, 11-year old Frank Epperson of California mixed some flavoring powder in water with a fork and left it outside (fork and all) overnight by mistake. It froze, but Frank ate it anyway.

For the next 17 years, Frank made them for himself and eventually, his kids. But in 1922, Epperson sold some at a fireman’s ball in San Francisco. They were a big hit. Frank then started selling them at the Neptune Beach amusement park in Alameda, California.

Unfortunately, Frank wasn’t much of a businessman. While the treat was popular, Frank’s personal finances were shaky. In 1925, he sold the rights to the Popsicle to the Joe Lowe Company of New York. Lowe quickly took the regional treat national.

The Fudgsicle was added in 1946. The origins of the Creamsicle are a bit more confused. No one seems to know how the treat was created or when it was first marketed.

A true Baby Boomer also remembers something called a Dreamsicle that you could also find in the freezer section of your corner drug store. But do you know the difference between a Dreamsicle and a Creamsicle?

The Creamsicle features ice milk inside the Popsicle coating while a Dreamsicle featured ice cream. One other difference: you can still find Creamsicles at grocery stores and ice cream trucks, The Dreamsicle has passed away into history. Pleasant dreams, indeed.