Quincy Jones sat in the Tenafly, New Jersey den of 16-year-old vocal student Lesley Gore,
playing demo after demo, looking for the right song to cut for her first record. Out of over 200 tapes, Jones and Gore had moved only one to the "maybe" pile, and so that song,
It's My Party, was recorded on March 30, 1963 in a Manhattan studio. After the session Mercury president Irving Green warned Gore not to get her hopes up, but Gore gratefully told him that it had been a great experience anyway, and it was okay if he didn't want to release it. However, later that evening Jones learned that
Phil Spector had just recorded "It's My Party" for
The Crystals, so Jones rushed back to the studio to press 100 test copies of the single and immediately mailed them to key radio stations across the country.
[more inside]
posted by swift
on Sep 13, 2011 -
69 comments
Two and a half years ago, we explored
the early history of Cartoon Network... but it wasn't the only player in the youth television game.
As a matter of fact,
Fred Seibert -- the man responsible for the most inventive projects discussed in that post -- first stretched his creative legs at the network's
truly venerable forerunner:
Nickelodeon.
Founded as Pinwheel, a six-hour block on Warner Cable's innovative
QUBE system, this humble channel struggled for years before Seibert's innovative branding work transformed it into a national icon and capstone of a media empire.
Much has changed since then, from the mascots and game shows to
the versatile orange "splat." But starting tonight in response to popular demand, the network is
looking back with
a summer programming block dedicated to the greatest hits of the 1990s, including
Hey Arnold!, Rocko's Modern Life, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, The Ren & Stimpy Show, Double Dare, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and
All That.
To celebrate, look inside for the complete story of the early days of the network that incensed the religious right, brought doo-wop to television, and slimed a million fans -- the golden age of Nickelodeon.
(warning: monster post inside) [more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Jul 25, 2011 -
116 comments
Maim That Tune "Are you plagued by Stuck Tune Syndrome? Do you have a song stuck in your head you just can't get out? Take heart friend, for your suffering is over. The Maimograph Machine, through complex analysis and calculation, will find an even catchier tune to counter-act the one you already have."
posted by unknowncommand
on Jul 28, 2006 -
44 comments
Chicken Payback [WMP streaming video; Real Player stream
here.] At first, this music video from
The Bees [Flash site] seems like a quick, harmless Friday diversion. Not for me, though. For me, it’s rapidly becoming a truly painful earworm, and worse: is there such a thing as an “eyeworm?”
posted by Man O' Straw
on Mar 25, 2005 -
12 comments
The Logical Song. Supertramp. From the trademark album "Breakfast in America": the saxophone was recorded with a STC 4038 in the bell and a U87 a couple of feet away for an overall sound. Here are the
lyrics. Use this to sing along with
(Midi File). Download the tune onto your cellphone here
(Mp3).The famous Wurlitzer Piano opener
(Mp3). My earworm work for the day is done, muahahahah
posted by jeremias
on Feb 17, 2005 -
29 comments
Sometimes,
the very worst songs get stuck in one's head. I am ashamed to admit that right now it's a bit of europuff from the comely Kylie Minogue,
Your Disco Needs You. But that isn't nearly as bad as an unfortunate friend of mine who couldn't stop whistling the
Horst Wessel Lied after seeing a documentary about Nazi Germany. When does a guilty pleasure become, well,
too guilty?
posted by tranquileye
on May 10, 2001 -
22 comments
