Psy-Fi's Sights & Sounds

[Psy-Fi]

Open Mind- Magic Potion (1969)
http://youtu.be/j-Hdmm304Uw

I've decided to finally get around to starting a journal at Music Banter. I don't have any specific theme for the journal other than keeping it focused on music related posts. Albums, songs, concerts, music related books, photos, videos, and anything else to do with music. The only theme (if you can call it that) will be to have each post related in some way to the next post in succession and vice versa. Sort of a loose stream-of-consciousness style of posting. Whatever happens to catch my interest and I think is worthy of mentioning will get posted here.

I'll probably be doing some fine-tuning as I go along (for at least the first few posts, anyway) while I get a handle on my trip into journal land.

[Trollheart]

Welcome to Journal Land! Nice to have you here at last.

[Psy-Fi]

^ Thanks Trollheart. It's something I've meaning to do for a while, but kept putting it off. "Better late than never" as the saying goes.

[Pet_Sounds]

Well, I know this will be one journal I can always go to if I need something to listen to. Can't wait to see what you post.

[Psy-Fi]

I was recently online, looking for something, and stumbled across something else I hadn't seen before. In this case, it was a video of Raquel Welch, the American actress and iconic sex symbol, outdoors and surrounded by some rather odd looking sculptures, dressed in a futuristic space bikini outfit and dancing with a couple of odd looking spacemen to some sort of tribal drum influenced dance music.

It turns out that the video was part of the opening montage to a TV special called "Raquel!" from April 26, 1970 and the sculptures in the background are from the Ruta de la Amistad public sculpture project made for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. I'm not sure who to credit for the music but it's every bit as weird and wonderful as the visuals...


Raquel Welch: Space-Girl Dance - YouTube

Pretty far out! But could things get any weirder? Fortunately the answer is yes!

In this next video, from the same TV special, Raquel sings a cover of "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" amid ancient Mayan ruins, surrounded by some very strange looking costumed characters followed by an entourage of dancing Mayans...


Raquel Welch Aquarius Let The Sunshine In - YouTube

Turn on, tune in and freak out! After this, I just may have to open my wallet and purchase a copy of the entire show on DVD.

[Oriphiel]

The first video reminds me of Barbarella! Anyway, good luck with your journal!

[Psy-Fi]

^ Thanks. I didn't make the Barbarella connection but now that you mention it, Barbarella was released in 1968. I imagine it may have been an inspiration for that video...


Movie poster artwork for 'Barbarella' starring Jane Fonda (1968)


Barbarella (1968) Movie Trailer
http://youtu.be/0Xo6FaypcpY

And while I was looking for that great piece of cinematic art, I came across a duet with Anthony Perkins and Jane Fonda, from her film debut in 'Tall Story' from 1960. It's a sappy little number which is (mercifully) short and instantly forgettable. About 28 seconds into the song, Anthony Perkins looks at Jane Fonda with a creepy, disturbed look on his face like he's about to turn into Norman Bates and pull a large chef's knife out from behind his back and plunge it gleefully into her chest. I started hearing the soundtrack music from the shower scene in 'Psycho' playing in my head while I was watching this...


Anthony Perkins / Jane Fonda : Cuddle Up A Little Closer - YouTube

Mother! Oh, God, Mother! Blood! Blood!!

[Oriphiel]

I can't stop laughing... That guy's expression...

[Psy-Fi]

And while I'm mentioning Jane Fonda, I might as well mention her brother Peter, who also followed in his famous father's footsteps and became an actor.
Probably best known for his role in 'Easy Rider' the acclaimed outlaw biker movie he starred in alongside Dennis Hopper and co-starring Jack Nicholson, written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper.


Peter Fonda as 'Wyatt' & Dennis Hopper as 'Billy' in Easy Rider


Easy Rider - Official Trailer ( 1969 )
http://youtu.be/UjlxqANj68U

The soundtrack album for the movie featured a stellar mix of mostly well known and a few lesser known rock bands from the late 1960's with the song selections forming a sort of musical commentary throughout the movie. Featuring (in order) Steppenwolf, Smith (covering 'The Weight' which was played by The Band in the movie but couldn't be included in the soundtrack due to a licensing problem), The Byrds, The Holy Modal Rounders, Fraternity of Man, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Electric Prunes, and Roger McGuinn.
In 2004 there was a deluxe edition remastered re-release of the soundtrack, featuring many extra songs from the movie which were not included on the original release. The bands included were The Seeds, The Electric Prunes, Blues Magoos, Eric Burdon & The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Procol Harum, The Young Rascals, Richie Havens, The Band (playing The Weight), The Byrds, The Chambers Brothers, Joe Cocker, Blue Cheer, The Moody Blues, Sir Douglas Quintet, The Youngbloods, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Thunderclap Newman.
Two songs from the film, "Let's Turkey Trot" by Little Eva, and "Flash, Bam, Pow" by The Electric Flag, were left out of both the 1969 release and the 2004 deluxe edition re-release.


Easy Rider - Music from the Soundtrack (1969)

Three years prior to Easy Rider, Peter Fonda also starred in another outlaw biker movie called 'The Wild Angels' a low-budget exploitation flick
directed and produced by Roger Corman. It was a rather cartoonish portrayal of an outlaw biker gang compared to the more serious Easy Rider, but the film was a success financially and as a result it wound up setting the tone for most of the outlaw biker flicks to follow during the late 60's and early 70's...


The Wild Angels (1966)


The Wild Angels (1966) trailer - YouTube

The film also starred Nancy Sinatra, who had recently become an international pop star based largely on her hit single "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" (written by Lee Hazlewood) and co-starred Bruce Dern and his wife Diane Ladd (also playing his wife in the movie) with members of the Venice, CA chapter of the Hell's Angels. The film featured a soundtrack with a majority of the music by Davie Allan & The Arrows, a band that provided the soundtracks to numerous biker, exploitation, and various B-movies in the mid-to-late 1960's. The tune "Blue's Theme" from The Wild Angels, was their biggest hit and made the Top 40 in 1967.


The Wild Angels - Music from the Soundtrack (1966)


Davie Allan & the Arrows - Blues' Theme (1967) - YouTube


Davie Allan & the Arrows

There was also a second soundtrack album released a year later in 1967, featuring more leftover music from the film, but (despite the great album cover art) I find it far inferior to the first album and probably wouldn't rate it more than a 3/10 overall.


The Wild Angels - Vol. 2 (1967)


Peter Fonda having a toke as 'Heavenly Blues' in The Wild Angels

[Oriphiel]

Brings back memories of unearthing Roger Corman movies in used DVD/CD stores or online, and starting them up with disbelief firmly suspended. Such great, cheesy lines... "Sir, the piranhas..." "What about them?!" "They're eating the guests, sir."

Anyway, gotta love Davie Allan and the Arrows! They really worked hard to make a whole lot of soundtrack music back in the day. Motorcycle movies just wouldn't have been the same without 'em.