Stepped outside a minute ago and the neighbors are having a pool party and this old tune was playing. Brought back a few memories.

 

Yes. I used to listen to Dr. Demento.

 

Absolutely! I think Dr D was Sunday nights on WMMR in Philadelphia either before or after the king biscuit flower hour


https://ultimateclassicrock.com/king...er-hour-debut/

 

I watched it in its entirety. Just an awesome documentary Michelle put together. I was born in Chicago, raised in the suburbs, played sports against Taft H.S., Dad's 2nd cousin (contractor) lived in Winnetka so much more. I'm now a tad teary eyed. Dollars to donuts Terry, probably Robert Lamm & others were at that FZ concert @ Ravinia I attended. Starry eyed right now. Thanks for sharing!

 

Fantastic good ole Dr D ! My wife went to a small university in Lockport Il!! We used to sit out in the car in the parking lot and listen to Dr. D, then I would make the ride back home my best rides home were down interstate 57 on my 71 Triumph Bonniville , but That’s another thread !! P.S . It was uncanny on the Triip from home to Lockport to see my gal they always seemed to play Radar Love by Golden Earing !!

 

I listened regularly, Wolfman Jack, also.

 

I was engaged to a gal from Lockport...then, came to my senses. She tried to run me over w/ my own 68 VW Superbeetle the night I called off the engagement. Enough of that topic on this thread!

 

Glad you enjoyed it Norm! With your Chicagoland experience and music knowledge I was sure you would.

Music we grew up with, like the cars we grew up with, can substantially stir the emotions

 

True blue you hit a grand slam with this thread, it’s really fun.

Chester county PA, early 70s. A pimply faced kid is checking out the hottest 13 year old in the neighborhood - she dug my Schwinn five speed Sting Ray - lime green, banana seat, full sissy bar with shifter mounted between legs. Hanging out in her driveway drooling over/ on older brothers hemi charger, and he got pissed. His buddies and he drag me down to their basement. Exhaled pot smoke and the distorted introduction to magic carpet ride was my sentence. My head between two massive speakers at level 10 - for the entire song. Great times!!

 

So was mine, at Cobo Hall, Detroilet in '73. They opened for T-Rex Their main game was showmanship, not that the band wasn't musically talented.
She came across to me as some sort of exhibitionist and maybe even a Nympho.
Thank Beat Club, I just discovered one of those bands who never got air play in our area. Their moral cleanliness equates that of the Mamas and Papas. But, without the corniness. They didn't make it big, partly due to their resisting their promoter's wishes. The singer/tambourinist checked out early, as she was driving home in the middle of the night through a well-known dangerous California hairpin and hit two trees with her MG. She wasn't wearing a seatbelt, if it had even made much of a difference:

 

Cobo Hall, I bet that was an experience. Wasn't Live Bullet made there?

 

Another that does it for me headed down the highway boys. Love country fried R&R.

 

I saw the same show/tour in December '80 at the Rainbow Music Hall in Denver. Small-ish venue, formerly three-screen theater in which they tore down the interior walls and built the stage. One of the first commercial deployments of KLIPSCH Loudspeakers. WOW!!! Place held about 1200 when full. For TL it was about half. One of the guys, I think it was Gorham, IIRC, had a leg in a cast and sat on a tall stool to play. They sold out three nights at Wembly Stadium in the UK on the same tour. The opening band was boo'd off the stage when they played a song called White N****r. I've got a ticket stub in my collection that looks exactly like this one below. Check out the cost!! (The Rainbow has been a Walgreens for about 30 years now ) If you like TL, check out Black Star Rider.

 

Killian, You are spot-on. Wendy was a live sex performer in NYC before she joined the Plasmatics. Gene Simmons helped put that band together and provided a lot of support in their early days.

 

Great stuff guys - all this concert talk has me remembering my first one ever. August 78 the Spectrum - Philadelphia. Van Halen opens for Black Sabbath.

I took my learners permit and my 15-year-old girlfriend, and my parents full size Buick station wagon into this sea of hard rock craziness. Quite a baptism for a first time adolescent concert goer.

We were in the cheapest seats possible but the place totally rocked - many may know the spectrum roof partially collapsed when it was first built, and I thought these guys were going to blow it off.

This lip sync version of “you really got me” by VH looks pretty cheesy now, but when Van Halen 1 arrived at sam goody I thought they did the Kinks proud. Still one of the best debut albums ever IMHO. David Lee Roth at his best / worst!

 

Norm...
I've never understood what the heck a title like "25 or 6 to 4" means...any insight?

 

I’m sure Norm knows this too:

According to composer Robert Lamm, the song is about trying to write a song in the middle of the night. The song's title is the time at which the song is set: 25 or 26 minutes before 4 am.

The sometimes hard to understand lyrics certainly bear that out....

“Waiting for the break of day
Searching for something to say
Dancing lights againnst the sky
Giving up I close my eyes
Sitting cross-legged on the floor
25 or 6 to 4

Staring blindly into space
Getting up to splash my face
Wanting just to stay awake
Wondering how much I can take
Should have tried to do some more
25 or 6 to 4…”

 

This has always been one of my Van Halen favorites

 

OK, that clears it up. 25 or 26 to 4
thanks,
tc

 

25 or 6 to 4 was also a Chicago tune.

 

Love ALL the classic rock. This one always hits me hard ...
Miss you Chris

 

That is the song we're referencing.

 

Oh, well damn, ok.

 

 

I believe that line is incorrect. I believe the line is "should I try to do some more". This is actually the first time I have seen it referenced as "have tried" instead of "I try". I do know the reference specifically relates to the notion of them trying to decide if they should do a couple more lines of cocaine at "25 or 6 to 4"

 

It just might be Norm - there’s a long-standing debate as to what some of the lyrics referred to, and the title.

After researching the different lyric sites online - and I’m actually listening to the song right now - either could be true. However I believe Lamm when he says that this song is not about drugs. But he was probably on drugs when he wrote it!


”Because of the unique phrasing of the song's title, "25 or 6 to 4" has been interpreted to mean everything from a quantity of illicit drugs to the name of a famous person in code”

 

The line is: "....should I try to do some more...."
The line specifically relates to doing more lines of cocaine.
At 45'50" into "Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience" Terry's wife Camelia specifically references and hand gestures the question/suggestion of doing more lines of cocaine. Recall, this song was banned from several world markets specifically for the notion of referencing illicit drugs. Robert was making every attempt to down-play those notions.

 

The song is NOT actually ABOUT drugs. The song is about writing at 25 or 26 to 4 in the morning and wondering (among themselves) should they try to do more lines of cocaine to stay awake so they could, in fact, write more lines of various songs they were putting lines to. This song, just happened to be a turning point at this time of the "all nighter" where they are attempting to thrown down some written song lines to various songs.

 

Good stuff norm, thank you.
This may be helpful as well:

https://www.songfacts.com/facts/chicago/25-or-6-to-4


Another great thing about music, the listener can interpret the lyrics anyway they want, even after they read what the writer had in mind. Or misheard them...chew on this for a great laugh or three.

http://www.keno.org/classic_rock/mis...ock_lyrics.htm

 

Since we're on the topic of Terry Kath and importantly at this juncture, Terry's ex-wife Camelia (Ortiz) Kath - who by the way was married to Keifer Sutherland and has been intimately/romantically involved w/ Jeff Lynne for quite some time......

 

Early Joe....

 

It only goes to figure. He's obviously not the type for putting together and supporting the likes of The Cowsills IMHO, the band improved, as soon as Sammy "Hay Gar" replaced David Roth

 

 

This is what it was really like cruising in the 60s.

 

Cruising.

 

John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band.

 

Reminds me of my 1st job @ the local A&W root beer stand when I was 15 yrs old (1967). No I was NOT a car hop!

 

I saw this fine gentleman a couple of times during the latter years of his life. I cannot imagine any person who influenced the blues more than this exceptional person. You probably know the other three musicians: Eric Clapton, Robert Cray & Jimmie Vaughn (in case you do not).

 

From 1972s “They only come out at night”, the double drum song was its working title. Edgar winter at his finest.

Despite the annoying flashing promotion by the uploader, it’s visuals are pretty darn good. Never liked the live versions as much as this spot on studio version - eventually named ‘Frankenstein’ due to all the splicing done to achieve this final cut.

I highly recommend you turn it up as loud as your family or neighbors will allow, and enjoy.

 

I certainly would hope not



Then, again. The humiliation might have someday paid off