While most of us remember 1967 as “The Summer of Love,” the hippie movement actually got its start a year earlier. It was also in 1966 that the word “psychedelic” entered the popular lexicon followed very shortly by the first “psychedelic rock” appearing on the nation’s Top 40 airwaves.

One of the earliest of these psychedelic hits was a little number called “(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet” by a Bronx band calling themselves the Blues Magoos.

At the time of their one and only hit, the Magoos consisted of Emil Thielheim, who used the stage name “Peppy” Castro, on lead vocals and guitar, Mike Esposito on lead guitar, Ralph Scala on organ, Ron Gilbert on bass and Geoff Daking on drums.

“(We Ain’t Got) Nothin’ Yet,” written by band members Esposito, Gilbert and Scala, was released on the Mercury label and went all the way to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100. Powered by the single, their debut album, Psychedelic Lollipop reached #21 on the album chart.

But like so many recording acts, the boys were not able to duplicate their initial success. They recorded four more albums and released a dozen more singles – all of them stiffed. In 1970, they threw in the towel and disbanded. As the years passed, many of the group joined other bands, but never found mainstream fame. In 2008, three of the original members (Castro, Scala and Daking) reformed the group and the Blues Magoos have been touring the world ever since. In 2014, they released their first album of new material in 43 years, titled Psychedelic Resurrection.

According to AARP, here are some dressing tips for cold weather:

1.) Wear a hat that covers your head (especially your ears) - research shows that when your head is warm, your whole body tends to stay warmer

2.) Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves

3.) wool of synthetic socks keep your feet warmer

4.) An inner layer of natural fabrics like wook or silk tend to trap heat close to your body

Here's hoping you stay warm!

Jailhouse Rock (1957), Elvis Presley’s 3^rd feature and the first to really offer Elvis’ brand of rock ‘n’ roll undiluted, is probably his most famous and best-regarded film. The production number where the King sings and dances to the title track has been showcased in dozens of “Best of Hollywood Musicals” retrospectives, but how many have actually watched the entire film from which it comes?

Let’s take a deep dive into this milestone in the history of rock & roll movies. 

You might be surprised because Elvis’ character in the film, convict-turned-crooner Vince Everett is not a very likable fellow. When we first meet him, he beats a guy to death in a bar (that’s what sends him to the “jailhouse”). The beating he administers is excessive, even as he’s supposedly defending a woman at the bar from mistreatment by her man. Throughout the picture, Everett displays an extremely volatile temper that, today, would get him arrested and sentenced to anger management classes.

Elvis remains pretty sullen, egocentric and greedy (his only motivation for singing is his lust for wealth)) all through the picture. It is hard to find any reason to root for the guy outside of the fact that he’s being played by Elvis.

His love interest is a young record promoter played by Judy Tyler (best remembered as Princess Summerfallwinterspring on the old Howdy Doody Show). Tyler is sweet, attractive and really does help Elvis' character get his career launched. But he treats her so badly, you also have to wonder what her issues are. And you may not be rooting for them to wind up together at the final fadeout.

What redeems the picture are 4 songs written by one of rock’s great composing teams, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. In addition to the title tune, they also wrote “I Want to Be Free” and two more all-time Presley classics for this picture: “Treat Me Nice” and “(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care.”

Nevertheless, as repellent as his on-screen persona was, Presley’s real-life star power made this a big moneymaker for MGM Studios. It finished as the 14^th highest grossing film the year it was released.

Here are a couple of facts about the film you may not know:

• The story that Elvis choreographed himself in the “Jailhouse Rock” number is only half true. Presley wasn’t on board with choreographer Alex Romero’s initial dance moves. So, Romero had Elvis demonstrate the kind of moves he would make when singing the song. Romero then took what he saw and created the choreography we see in the film, built around moves he knew Presley could make.
• Film legend, Gene Kelly attended one of the rehearsals for the “Jailhouse Rock” number and was so impressed he gave Elvis and the other dancers an enthusiastic round of applause when they finished.
• Sadly, Judy Tyler died just two weeks after filming wrapped. It was a fatal car accident that claimed her life and that of her husband. Elvis was so upset that he did not attend the film’s premier.
• Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller really stalled on writing songs for the film. So much so that MGM brass called them to New York. They showed up empty-handed and their music publisher had to actually barricade them in their hotel room, refusing to release them until they completed their obligation to the studio. The pair then knocked out all 4 of the songs they wrote for the film in just 4 hours.
• Presley liked the songwriters so much that he insisted Mike Stoller appear as the piano player in Presley’s back-up band in the film.
• The film was produced on an extremely low budget and was filmed in only 5 weeks.
• It was condemned by the Parent-Teachers Association on its initial release for portraying what they called “cheap human values.”
• In 2004, Jailhouse Rock was selected for preservation as part of the National Film Registry.

You might want to give this a watch soon to see Elvis at the absolute peak of his career. If you can’t find a partner, use a wooden chair.

Her ethics gave way to her urges? Does Medicare cover this?

For American audiences, the David Essex story is rather short and fairly typical of one-hit wonders. He appeared out of nowhere, starring in a film about 1950’s rock & rollers called That’ll Be the Day. He wrote his one and only American hit for that film.

He said “Rock On” was an attempt to create a song with 1950’s lyrics and 1970’s music and production. In that, he succeeded wildly. Recorded and released in 1973, the song went to #5 on the Billboard Hot 100, #3 in the UK and #1 in Canada.

Essex followed up that success with another star turn in Stardust, a sequel to That’ll Be the Day that brought his 50’s rocker right into the 1970s. (The two films are notable because Essex’s fictional band, the Stray Cats, inspired the creation of the real-life band fronted by Brian Setzer.)

Alas, Essex was never able to ever follow-up “Rock On” with another hit in the States. But not so in his native England. He charted 18 more singles in the British charts, including two #1s. His acting career has also flourished in the UK. He continues to appear in both live theater and television productions to this day.

So one could say that Essex has rocked on rather well.

Many Baby Boomers are retiring while still carrying massive amounts of debt. This can add stress to what should be a carefree time of you life.

Here are some tips for getting out of debt:

1. Pay Off Those Credit Cards - Make sure you're paying off more than the monthly minimum. Also, check the interest rates you're being charged and pay down the cards with the highest rates first.

2. Refinance Credit Card Debt - If your credit is good, it may make sense to consolidate your credit card debt into a personal loan. Typically, personal loans charge far less interest than the major credit cards. Just make sure you don't run up the amounts on those cards again!

3. Cut Out the Extras - Decide what you really need - not just what you want.

4. Sell Your Stuff - There are now many ways to get rid of unwanted items and earn a little extra cash... from eBay to craigslist. Or you can always hold a garage sale. You'll have less stuff t take care of and earn some additional money at the same time.

It's no big secret that as we age, our bones tend to grow a bit more brittle. Here's what the experts say you can do to keep your bones strong:

1. Cut out soda - The acid in those fizzy drinks can diminish bone mass

2. Work out every day - A daily walk can help keep bones strong

3. Get enough calcium - Baby Boomers need up tp 1,2000 miligrams a day

The Ricardos also wish you a Happy New Year! Now, enjoy it, or you'll have some 'splainin' to do!