The Who’s Tommy LP had been a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing in that it finally established the Who as a headline rock act in the United States and most of the rest of the world. But it was curse in that Pete Townsend didn’t know what he could do to top it.

The band stalled. Instead of a studio album, they released a live set, The Who Live at Leeds. That actually proved to be a shrewd move. The band sounded way better live than they did in the studio at the time Tommy came out. Bands also make way more money on their live gigs than do on their records. So, Live at Leeds cemented their well-deserved reputation as one of the very best live acts in rock, but Townsend was still stuck. How was he going to top Tommy with a studio album?

Pete came up with a new concept he called Lifehouse. In brief, Townsend envisioned a storyline that took place in the near future when people live indoors because of pollution and only experienced things that are fed to them inside all-encompassing suits. In a way, Pete had correctly foreseen the rise of social media and virtual reality, which has cut down on face-to-face human interaction significantly. What Lifehouse would actually be – an album, a film, a stage musical – kept shifting. But he began to write songs for the project.

One of his main ideas for the project revolved around the musicians and audience fusing together to create something musicians couldn’t create by themselves. Excited, Townsend booked the Who into the Young Vic Theater in London and began playing these new songs for audiences. However, he never got the feedback from the crowd he was looking for, so the Who flew across the pond to New York City and began trying to work out the album at the Record Plant. However, Kit Lambert, one of the band’s managers who had accompanied them to the States had gotten involved with heroin and Townsend feared Keith Moon might soon head down that path if they stayed in New York.

So, back they flew to London and holed up at Olympic Studios. As the rest of the band had cooled considerably on the Lifehouse idea, engineer/co-producer Glyn Johns convinced the group to jettison the idea of a concept album, but just develop the songs that Pete had written for the project. You know, just focus on releasing a really good studio album.

And that’s just what they did.

First of all, they were impressed with Johns at the control board. He was able to get the band to sound in-studio pretty much the way they sounded live. Next, Townsend began incorporating synthesizer into his songs in a way no rock band had before – using it not just to add loopy little flourishes, but as one of the main instruments in the mix. He also found ways to infuse the synth parts with rock rhythms, again, something nobody had done before.

As there was no longer any need to adhere to an overall concept, the boys asked John Entwistle if he had a song he’d like to contribute. The Ox had one left over from a solo project he’d been working on, a little ditty that had been inspired (and exaggerated according to Entwistle) by a fight he’d had with "My Wife."

The album, now called Who’s Next, was released in August of 1971. It was an immediate commercial and critical success. It went to #1 in the UK and #4 in States (surprisingly, the Who have never had a #1 LP in America). It’s widely thought to be the band’s best LP with many of its tracks “Baba O’Riley,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again, “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Going Mobile,” and others, becoming staples of rock radio and in-concert favorites. It has been re-released multiple times, often with additional tracks from those sessions added as a bonus.

That cheeky cover shot? Yeah, only Townsend really took a leak against he monolith. The other three members of the band had their “marks” created with a little hot water.

BTW - Who’s Next also consistently shows up on lists of the greatest rock albums ever from sources like Rolling Stone, Village Voice and others.

When it debuted in theaters 50 years ago this summer, American Graffiti touched off a tidal wave of 1950s nostalgia (even though the film was set in 1962) that engulfed the 1970s, giving us Happy Days, Sha Na Na and Grease! It also launched the careers of several actors including Richard Dreyfuss and Cindy Williams. It allowed Ron Howard to graduate from child star to adult actor (and eventually award-winning director), And of course, it gave writer/direct George Lucas enough clout in Hollywood to finally get his pet project bankrolled, a little thing he called Star Wars. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Here’s a few things you might not know about this landmark film:

1. George Lucas made the film to prove a point to his then-wife. His first film THX1138 had flopped, both commercially and critically. His friend, Francis Ford Coppola told him, “Don’t be so weird.” His wife at that time, Marcia urged him to make a film that involved the audience emotionally. He told her there was nothing easier than involving the audience emotionally and wrote the script of American Graffiti to prove it.

2. The movie was almost called A Slow Night in Modesto. Universal Studios didn’t understand the title (join the club) and wanted it changed. They submitted several alternatives, really pushing A Slow Night in Modesto. But Lucas stuck to his guns.

3. Universal wanted to release the film as a made-for-TV movie. Universal had so little faith in American Graffiti’s subject matter that they wanted it released directly to television. However, the film’s producer – the aforementioned Francis Ford Coppola, had just won a raft of Oscars for his breakthrough movie, The Godfather, and used his newfound clout to put the film into theaters.

4. Harrison Ford refused to cut his hair for the small part he played. At the time of filming, Harrison Ford had just about given up on his dream of an acting career. He was working mainly as a carpenter when Lucas offered him the minor role of Bob Falfa (the out-of-town racer who spends the film looking for Paul Le Mat’s John Milner). The script called for Falfa to have a flattop haircut, but as the part was so small, Ford would only do it if he didn’t have to cut his hair. Lucas agreed, instead putting Ford in a cowboy hat to hide his more modem hairstyle.

5. One of the writers had to become Mackenzie Phillips’ legal guardian. Mackenzie Phillips was actually one of the actors really playing her own age. Just 12 at the time of the production, she almost lost out on the part because of a California law that required a parent or legal guardian to be present on the set whenever she was filming. They satisfied the law when one of the movie’s producers, Gary Kurtz, stepped up and actually became her legal guardian while American Graffiti was in production. She lived with Kurtz & his wife during the filming and reported it was a very happy arrangement.

When it was released, American Graffiti seemed like it was showing a bygone era, but the film was set just 11 years in the past. Imagine if a film was released today taking “a nostalgic look” at 2012. Think it would be a big hit?

Our question of the week: Are you scrubbed?

Most of us have heard or read about it. Some of us may even have a friend or family member suffering from it. But how can you tell if you have the long form of COVId-19?

Experts say long COVID means your symptoms (fatigue, chest pain, cough, brain fog, etc.) last longer then 4 weeks. There is no specific test for long COVID yet. What’s more, there is no specific treatment for it either. The good news is that only a minority of COVID patients develop the long form of the disease. The less severe your initial symptoms, the less likely you are to have long COVID. Also, most cases do recover their full health within 3 months. Rest and paring back on your daily activities can help you recover more quickly.

As always, consult your physician should you feel you have long COVID. And we wish you a speedy recovery!

It’s been with rock since the beginning – the idea of one outstanding singer with a backing band. Think of Buddy Holly & the Crickets, Mick Jagger & the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Freddie Mercury & Queen and so many more.

But there’s second dynamic some bands follow – one that we think produces much more interesting results. That’s the concept of sharing lead vocal duties. The two bands who led this trend are also the two groups that definitely moved us from the “fifties sound” into the “Sound of the Sixties”: The Beach Boys & the Beatles.

Both group’s albums featured every member of those combos taking a stab at lead vocals. While John & Paul split the majority of Beatles lead vocal duties, George was typically allowed two songs of his own while Ringo would take a stab at least one vocal per LP. Meanwhile, the Beach Boys’ Mike Love is often thought of as a lead singer, but that’s just because he didn’t play any actual instrument on stage. The truth is that Carl Wilson, Al Jardine, Brian Wilson & Dennis Wilson all took turns singing lead on the band’s songs.

Having more than one vocalist allows a band to sound somewhat different from tune to tune. Here is a short list (by no means complete) of some of the band’s who pass the microphone around:

• ABBA
• Beach Boys
• Beatles
• Bee Gees
• Buffalo Springfield
• Byrds
• Crosby, Stills, Nash &Young
• Eagles
• Fleetwood Mac
• Mamas & Papas
• Monkees
• Moody Blues
• Mothers of Invention
• Pink Floyd
• 10cc
• Three Dog Night

Then, there are a handful of bands who aren’t quite as generous as the above-named groups, but not as stingy as the solo frontman bands. These bands typically feature two vocalists who trade leads and they include:

• Cars
• Cream
• Doobie Brothers
• Hall & Oates
• Heart
• Jefferson Airplane

And finally, we have the Who. Totally unique in this grouping. For the most part, Roger Daltrey has functioned as the band’s lead singer, but often, there are bits within a Who song where the vocals are handled by Pete Townsend (and a handful where Pete sings lead throughout the song). Typically, bassist John Entwistle contributed a song or two to each LP and sang lead on those and once in a blue moon (pun intended), Keith Moon would get a shot at singing lead. But, unquestionably, when you think of the Who, you picture Daltrey handling the vocals.

So, in the final analysis, which style do you prefer and can you think of any multi-vocalist bands we’ve missed?

As social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have developed, they have, of course, become a fertile ground for advertisers – and for scam artists. If you find something tempting popping up in your social media feed, don’t click and order until you’ve taken a few precautionary steps.

Look for an actual physical address or phone number. Nearly 43% of social media scams involve online shopping. Complaints range from wrong items, items that were not as pictured or items not even arriving head up the list. So, see if you can actually verify the existence of the company that’s trying to sell you something.

See if you can locate the business online through a search engine and not just by clicking on the ad.

Check Google or other online reviews. And don’t rely on a website specifically set up for the retailer.

Search for bad reviews or complaints by Googling the name of the product, plus the words “scam” or “complaint.”

See if you can find the same item or something similar from an online retailer you trust.

Finally, never pay with gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers. Always use a credit card or online payment service such as PayPal. That way, if you get scammed or you’re not happy with your purchase, you can contact your credit card company and have your payment refunded.

Before Sesame Street, before Mister Rodgers moved into the neighborhood, there was Romper Room, the first television show specifically aimed at the pre-school set.

The brainchild of TV producer Ben Claster and his wife, Nancy Terrell, the show was also unique in that it was offered in two different formats. Major market TV stations would cast their own local hostess and produce their own Romper Room, while smaller markets would broadcast a national version of the show, hosted by Nancy Terrell

Beginning In 1953, both the national and local versions broadcast Monday through Friday and worked from scripts provided by the Clasters. That way, the content would be the same no matter where the show aired. The format simulated a kindergarten class. 4- and 5-year old boys and girls played games, participated in exercises and were taught lessons in good behavior by the hostess, who was always referred to as “Miss [WHATEVER HER NAME HAPPENED TO BE].” The hostesses were required to either be trained pre-school teachers or have a background in dealing with small kids.

While the show is best remembered by the Baby Boomers, it actually ran on stations around the country through 1994 (being renamed Romper Room and Friends in 1981).

The two sequences best remembered by those who started their TV life with Romper Room were the lessons in manners taught by Mr. Doo-Bee and Mr. Don’t-Bee and the Magic Mirror sequence that concluded every episode. Before signing off, the show’s hostess would hold up her “magic mirror” (really an ordinary hand-held mirror with the glass removed) and chant mystically, “Romper, stomper, bomper, boo. Tell me, tell me, tell me, do. Magic Mirror, tell me today, Did all my friends have fun at play?”

Then, she would pretend she could somehow see all the boys and girls watching at home. However, she was careful only to mention them by first name. Most of us would make sure we were front & center in front of our TV screens hoping for that shoutout by our local hostess.

Here’s hoping you’re still being a Do-Bee should Miss Nancy still be employing her magic mirror in the Great Beyond!

With people using less and less cash and relying more and more on smartphones, it’s time for those of us “of a certain age” to reassess what we’re carrying around in our wallets, lest we lose said wallet or, even worse, have it stolen.

Things to take out of your wallet:

Cash – Sure, keep enough for an emergency, like you need a taxi ride and the cabbie won’t tke credit cards or if you like leaving your tip in cash at restaurants and so forth, but you certainly don’t need to be carrying around large sums of actual money any more.

Social Security Card – What was this doing in your wallet in the first place? There is no place you would ever need such a card and by now, we’re sure you have your own SSN memorized.

Excess Credit Cards – Experts say you should carry your debit card and then one or two credit cards. That’s it. Should your wallet fall into the wrong hands, the more cards there are, the greater the windfall for the crooks.

House Key – Your driver’s license will tell any thief where that key will work.

Medicare Card – This should only be in your wallet when you’re on your way to a medical appointment where you may be asked to provide it. Otherwise, like a SSN card, this can be used in lots of ways by professional fraudsters.

So, what should be in your wallet?

Driver’s License – Hope you never get pulled over by the cops, but just in case… Also, lots of places still use this as your photo ID.

One or Two Credit Cards – Along with your debit card.

Your Insurance Cards – But make sure you’ve made copies of the front and back of each card that you keep at home in case you ever lose your wallet.

One final word – those electronic wallet trackers can be very helpful if you forget where you put your wallet around the house. But their range is only about 400 yards, so they won’t be much help if your wallet is stolen or you lose it when you’re away from home.

Beatlemania will never die! Over 50 years after their break-up and even after the passing of two of their members, the Beatles will be releasing a new song this year.

Last week, Paul McCartney announced that they had been able to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old cassette demo recording of a song Lennon was working on in the 1970s. Using AI (Artificial Intelligence), they were able to remove the piano Lennon was playing on the demo and clean up the vocal.

While assembling of the multi-volume Beatles’ Anthology CD sets, Yoko Ono had given her permission for the remaining band members to utilize some of John’s unreleased demos to craft a couple of new Beatles songs for inclusion on Anthology. They chose “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” But there was a third tune, known as “Now and Then,” which the band rejected because 1.) George Harrison didn’t really care for it and 2.) the cassette recording couldn’t be cleaned up enough to yield a usable vocal. According to Ono, the song was written by John to Paul when the duo was considering reteaming to write some new tunes.

Fast forward to last year when film director, Peter Jackson was able to use AI to isolate Lennon’s vocals from “I’ve Got Feeling” as sung during their famous “Rooftop Concert.” That allowed Paul to duet live on stage with his old partner during Macca’s “Got Back” tour last year – a very moving highlight of the live show.

Listen to John's original demo.

Using the same technology, Paul has now been able to extract a usable vocal from “Now and Then.” One presumes Harrison had recorded some guitar for the track back during the Anthology sessions. As Paul & Ringo Starr are still with us, they, of course, can contribute to completing the song.

McCartney says the finished product – the “last Beatle song” will be released later this year.

To which we say, “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!”

Wow, psychiatrists - who knew?