The MT Alternative Podcast
The MT Alternative Podcast is where music nostalgia meets sarcasm, humor, and the occasional political rant. Mike and Tom revisit the past, argue about the present, and never take themselves too seriously.
The MT Alternative Podcast
1974: Time-Traveling Through Music's Transitional Year
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Step into a time machine with Mike and Tom as they transport you back to 1974 – that fascinating transitional year when music was caught between the fading echoes of counterculture and the emerging sounds that would define the late 70s.
What exactly is a "post-hippie hangover"? It's the perfect description for 1974's musical landscape, where rock was splintering into countless subgenres while soul evolved and disco's first sparkles appeared on the horizon. The guys expertly navigate through the year's defining sounds – from Led Zeppelin's peak touring years to Queen's breakthrough with "Killer Queen," from David Bowie's dystopian glam rock to Stevie Wonder's soul masterpieces.
But what makes this episode truly special is the deep dive into one-hit wonders that dominated 1974 before vanishing into obscurity. Remember "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks? That melodramatic yet somehow cheerful song about death that had everyone either sobbing or rolling their eyes? Or "Rock the Boat" by the Hughes Corporation – arguably the first disco hit to top the charts before the genre fully exploded?
The conversation takes a hilariously chaotic turn when Pip and Squeak burst into the studio, determined to defend "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road" and Jim Stafford's "Wildwood Weed" as underappreciated classics. Their passionate (if somewhat unhinged) musical commentary provides the perfect counterpoint to Mike and Tom's more structured exploration of the era.
Don't miss the "What Were They Thinking?" segment highlighting the strangest hits of 1974, including Ray Stevens' inexplicable chart-topper "The Streak" and Paul Anka's cringe-worthy "Having My Baby" (which critics have called one of the worst #1 songs of all time). Between technological shifts like the rise of FM radio and cassettes replacing 8-tracks, 1974 emerges as the weird, wonderful middle child of the decade – not as revolutionary as 1967 or as flashy as 1977, but laying essential groundwork for everything from punk to arena rock.
Ready to continue this musical journey through time? Subscribe now and join us next week for our deep dive into 1975!
Welcome to MT Alternative Podcast
Speaker 2Oh boy, it's time to fire up the 8-track, adjust that disco ball and ignore your modern responsibilities, because you've just tuned in to the MT Alternative Podcast, broadcasting live from a shag-carpeted basement somewhere between satire and sonic chaos. This week, your favorite pair of podcast pirates, mike and Tom, are time-traveling back to 1974, a year when everything had a funky bass line and even your grandma had a lava lamp. From classic rock to disco missteps, they're breaking down the hits, the misses and that one song that makes you question whether the 70s were just one long fever dream, set to music. But wait, before you grab your tab and settle in with your pet rock. We've got Pip and Squeak back in the studio. Yes, the tiny legends return and rumor has it Pip found a sitar and Squeak's still mad about the price of gas in 2025.
Speaker 2It's going to get weird Like. Was that a kazoo solo? Or did the studio cat sit on the mixer Weird? So get ready to boogie, snort, laugh and maybe cry a little when Tom says Terry Jacks should have won a Nobel Prize. This is the MT Alternative Podcast. Let's get funky, everyone.
Speaker 3Tom, what the hell's going on?
Speaker 4Hey, Mike, not too much. What's going on with you?
Speaker 3Excited for this next episode of ours.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah, it's about like the weather Up and down.
Speaker 3Up and down. Oh, never mind, I won't touch that one.
Speaker 4Well, it was seven degrees cooler today than it was yesterday Is what my phone said, your phone said it. Yep, well, it read it, I read what it read me All. It read it. I read what it.
Speaker 3Read me Okay, alright, alright, are you?
Speaker 4sure Are we being technical today?
Speaker 3I'm not really Okay, just having a little fun.
Speaker 4Having a little fun.
Speaker 3So we're on to 1974.
Speaker 4You're going up on Cripple Creek. Have a little fun, a little bit of fun.
Speaker 3Okay, just a little 1974. Hooray 74.
Speaker 474. Some of my favorite shit.
Speaker 3It was a good music.
Speaker 4It was a good music.
Speaker 3There was some good music in there, and then we're doing research. Finally, both of us, we actually learned a little bit of information.
Speaker 4There is Besides the basic.
Speaker 3Yeah, I heard it when I was doing this.
Speaker 4Yeah, I was in the backseat with my sister and her boyfriend in front.
Speaker 3I was in my bedroom with my socks no no, oh, I mean, that comes later.
Speaker 4Yeah, it was later yeah that's right, 70, 80. Through 80. What do you mean?
Speaker 3through 80s. You said 2025, buddy.
Speaker 4Through the 80s. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3That's not still happening?
Speaker 4Well, depends on what they play on the radio.
Speaker 3I was just fooling, you were just fooling. That's been long gone for me too, bud, yeah.
Speaker 4Yeah you know when it's time to stop doing that kind of thing is when your socks stand up in the corner by themselves.
Speaker 3So not a bad week at work.
Speaker 4Not too bad. It was a little rough for an old guy, but not too bad.
Speaker 3Yesterday, on unloading that truck, I thought it was geriatric time. Wow, how many of us old geezers were there?
Speaker 4I don't know Four or five of us, because they sent the oldest people they could find over there from the other point of view, they work with the oldest people that are already doing it.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, great, great. That's just awesome.
Speaker 4But it got done.
Speaker 3It did get done. In what? A little over two hours? Yeah, a little bit over, too bad. But that truck all in all wasn't bad. Nah, he had a lot of synergy.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3More than usual, bartolini. So you figured the Avia was the worst part.
Speaker 4Right, and that was only 17 pounds.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's all Cool, yeah, but anyways, back to music. It's the weekend. It is the weekend. We broke things down a little bit. This time, tom Doing the music.
Speaker 4Slaps off on his high karate aftershave.
Speaker 3No, not commercials.
Speaker 4No no.
Speaker 3That was a song.
Speaker 4That was actually a song.
Speaker 3Oh, that's right.
Speaker 4You did. Let me hear that one before. I don't know if it's 74, but we are sticking with 74 this time.
Speaker 3Definitely sticking with 74.
Speaker 4Yep, I'll come out with that one here after a while.
Speaker 3Give a little summary. 1974 music was in flux Post-hippie hangover, pre-punk, anxiety. Rock was fragmenting. Soul was evolving. Disco was Disco. Wait a minute, disco was coming out already.
Speaker 4Yeah.
Speaker 3I guess it was.
Speaker 4I can say yeah, but here's Ishma.
Speaker 3And the charts reflected a culture trying to find its new groove. Nixon had just resigned, the Vietnam War was winding down and music echoed the strange, uncertain vibe of the country.
Speaker 4Yeah, you read something before that.
Speaker 3Nixon had resigned. No before that. Okay, A disco.
Speaker 4A little bit before that, Soul was evolving. Soul was evolving and Rock was fragmenting.
Speaker 3Okay, okay, post-hippie hangover.
Speaker 4That's it. I knew you would hit it. Wait a minute, I have a question. Sure, what's a hippie hangover?
Speaker 3That's a good question. That is a good question. Why are you asking?
Speaker 4me Well, because you're a little older Well we were hippies. I was a kid in the 60s.
Speaker 3I know, not a teenager, not that old. Oh, not that old, oh crap, I wasn't 10 till 73.
Speaker 4Okay, everybody holler at us. What is a hippie hangover?
Speaker 3Help us out. Yeah, let us know what that is. Yeah, I mean I can see after Woodstock Festival. I.
Speaker 4I mean I can see after Woodstock. Festival, I'll trade my shirt for grilled cheese.
Speaker 3Don't eat the brown acid.
Speaker 4Oh, wait a minute, why I had four of those.
Speaker 3Uh-oh, cheech and Chong, yeah. But so I guess we'll jump into rock and transition. I'll read these, we'll talk about it. Okay. Classic rock tit about it. Okay. Classic rock. Titans were all dominating. Led Zeppelin released Physical Graffiti in early 75. Good album. But in 74, they were touring hard at their peak. The Rolling Stones dropped its only rock and roll, a nod to their aging rebel image. David Bowie released Diamond Dogs, another great album Blending glam rock with Dystopian Imagery. Queen had a breakout year with Queen 2 and Sheer Heart Attack. Killer Queen hit it big. Genesis released the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, a bizarre theatrical double album. Double Peter Gabriel's Swan Song with the band yeah, I guess that's when Phil Collins took over for singing. Then Rush dropped their self-titled debut Planting Seeds for Prague Metal yeah.
Speaker 1Go ahead, Tom.
Speaker 3I know you want to talk about it.
Speaker 4Yeah, there you go, go ahead, tom. Nah, just kidding, they're good, I mean just.
Speaker 3It's just not Tom's cup of tea.
Speaker 4I think they're overrated. Here's what it is Canada. If you're in Canada, you love them.
Speaker 3Take off to the great white north. That's Geddy Lee in that song. Geddy Lee's a great bass player, great bass player.
Speaker 4One of the best. It's more rock for nerds, he got stuck with what he got stuck with.
Speaker 3Just rock for nerds and I thought 2112. Nothing to do with 1974, but 2112 was a great album, yeah. Great concept album yeah.
Speaker 4But again the address Back to 1974.
Speaker 3What about Queen? Here's the thing Sheer Heart Attack, the song Sheer Heart Attack is not even on it.
Speaker 4Yeah, and it was a good song.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's like one of the first, I don't know. I want to say like speedy metal songs or something Speedy, what Speed metal? Oh?
Speaker 4If you listen to the guitars. Speedy Gonzales. Yeah, you know, we can't say that.
Speaker 3We can't.
Speaker 4Nope.
Speaker 3You know what we need. We need some mood music in the background.
Speaker 4Come on, baby, I hear some music.
Speaker 3Yeah, it's your band. What are you wearing right now?
Speaker 4Kiss.
Speaker 3What shirt? Yeah, yeah, is that what? And that's Kiss Alive, right on there.
Speaker 4Yes, it is. Well, here you go. Black Diamond, and that was one of the best drum solos. Didn't he play like a drum solo in this, peter Criss? No, that was 100,000 years. Never mind, never mind, Sorry.
Speaker 3All right, here we're going off kilter again.
Speaker 4Yep a little.
Speaker 3Sorry Okay.
Speaker 4Anything else with the collect.
Speaker 3Led Zeppelin, physical Graffiti another great album.
Speaker 4Wait a minute. How do you do graffiti? That's not physical.
Speaker 3You got to get out there and write it. Yeah, well, someone else did that. Well, it was physical, they just named the album that. Okay, fine.
Speaker 2Okay so.
Speaker 3Rush, Queen, Genesis, Genesis good band. Peter Gabriel left.
Speaker 4Phil Collins, the drummer, took over lead singing Rush's history there, phil Collins, one of the best drummers in the world.
Speaker 3Anybody who can drum and sing yeah, guitar and singing, high bass playing, but the drums. Phil Collins, you're keeping a beat while singing.
Speaker 4It was just very little while ago that I learned that Phil Collins was one of the best drummers out there Excellent drummer. I had no idea. Excellent drummer.
Speaker 3Okay, we're moving on to the rise of soft rock and singer-songwriters. The vibe got smoother. The Eagles on the Border gave us Already Gone and Best of my Love two good songs. Linda Ronstadt Hot Like a Wheel. Late 1974 cemented her as top voice of that era. Carole King, james Taylor, jackson Brown and Joni Mitchell are still dominating adult contemporary radio, creating introspective, mellow hits. Like I said, carole King had some good songs. James Taylor too mellow for me. Jackson Brown I like Joni said Carole King had some good songs. James Taylor too mellow For me. Jackson Brown, I like. Joni Mitchell too folksy. That's my opinion. I'm really on those. Linda Ronstadt, her band.
Speaker 4Silver hair, golden needles.
Speaker 3Backup musicians. You guys should start a band, the.
Speaker 4Eagles, imagine that, and they couldn't get along.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, that's another story for another time Downfall. We'll have to dig in on that sometime. Yeah Be interesting. Don Henley, Glenn Frey.
Speaker 4So much talent, just so much, a lot of talent in that band. Joe Walsh joined the band.
Speaker 3So much talent Added something to harmonizing in the Eagles. It was incredible. Yeah, so much talent Added something to harmonizing in the Eagles is incredible. Yeah, some of that's not too, bad.
Speaker 4Edibles are incredible.
Speaker 3Edibles? What kind Edibles? Yeah, but what kind of edibles? We're talking like sweets.
Speaker 4We're talking you know, sweets gummies, whatever it happens. Okay, edibles, they're incredible.
Speaker 3That's when Ace Frehley used to smoke his guitar here I don't mean to smoke it that way and burn it up there, whatever little smoke coming out of it.
Speaker 4I never could keep mine lit.
Speaker 3Smashing the guitar. Oh yeah, All right. So next up is Soul Funk and the Roots of Disco. Here we go, Back to Disco.
Speaker 4Disco, disco, all right.
Speaker 3Stevie Wonder was unstoppable with Fulfilling this first finale featuring Boogie on Reggae. Woman, earth, wind, fire were heating up with Open Our Eyes, fusing Funk, jazz and R&B. Barry White and Al Green were making women throw their panties off, I mean, were making baby. Making music in bulk Same thing Cool. And the Gang and the Ohio Players started hinting at disco grooves. Yep, yep. George McRae's Rock your Baby is often cited as one of the first disco hits. I don't get that one. I don't either. Cool in the Gang. Ohio Players, I can go more with that. Yeah, yeah, any of those bands. See, I'll be honest.
Speaker 4I like them all. Yeah, they were all great, very white.
Speaker 3But it's true, huh.
Speaker 4It's got the panty-dropping voice, the fucking guys you.
Speaker 3They know what's going on. Hey baby, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4Come on over and I'll make a sweet panty-dropping voice.
Speaker 3That's right. Who was the guy that played? What was the other singer? Isaac Hayes, isaac Hayes.
Speaker 4The chef hey children.
Speaker 3Another one with them voices.
Speaker 4I got some chef's chocolate salty balls. That was a great episode. Man, how'd he die on the show? His heart stopped. Oh, on the show. Yeah, I don't know. Maybe the Loch Ness Monster Chef, I don't know.
Speaker 3Here we go off kilter. This is what we do. Yeah sorry, we get sidetracked Pretty easy. Alright, let's see. Next we got Punk's Distant Rumble. Protopunk bands are bubbling up. The New York Dolls released Too Much, too Soon, messy and Wild. I'm going to stop right there and let you in Messy and Wild.
Speaker 4No, wait a minute. Back up Bubbling Up. Who's that?
Speaker 3No, it says that the bands were bubbling up. Oh, Stop, New York Dolls. Which band David Johansson released. Too Much, Too Soon, Messy and Wild.
Speaker 4Messy and Wild. Yeah, well, see, there you go. I remember bubbling up a lot more than Messy and Wild.
Speaker 3Yeah well, too Much, too Soon, that's what the song says man yeah, Then you get the Ramones who were for me in Queens.
Speaker 1New York the Ramones.
Speaker 3We'll move on to there. You go right up your alley there. Tom Country and outlaw movement. Willie Nelson released Phases and Stages, a concept album about divorce. It's a Willie Nelson Divorce. Waylon Jennings, chris Gustafson were pushing back against Nashville. Polish. The outlaw country movement was fighting its voice. More rugged, less rhinestone.
Speaker 4Yeah, it should be. Yeah, well, nobody likes rhinestone cowboy. Nobody, well, mac Davis or Glenn Campbell.
Speaker 3Yeah, I was going to say Come on.
Speaker 4Sorry Sorry, Mac.
Speaker 3Hey, how could you forget? Did you say Mac Davis?
Speaker 4I started to. Then I said Glenn, which?
Speaker 3of those country artists. Did you like Waylon Jennings?
Speaker 4Yeah, jennings. Well, as far as country artists go, the king in my opinion in country is Merle, merle Haggard, yeah.
Speaker 3If we bake it through December.
Speaker 4Before anything Merle does is like gold. Merle Haggard, yeah, but other than that, if we make it through, December.
Speaker 3Before. Anything Merle does is like gold. Merle Stark, merle Stark, there you go.
Speaker 4I like Merle Stark. No, just anything, merle.
Speaker 3Does Merle Stark compare to Wiener Fest at all?
Speaker 4In some ways. Yes, yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah, because if you make it to December, and did the same events happen at these festivals?
Speaker 4Yeah, I'll chase you around the bedroom tonight. That was a Merle song At a. Merle festival. It doesn't matter where it's at it's happening.
Speaker 3All right, so we get that. You want to know the top singles of 74?
Speaker 4Yeah, singles All right. Is that like Shelly? Oh, not people.
Speaker 3No.
Speaker 4Oh songs Songs.
Speaker 3I guess the people who sang them. Oh, they're single. Yeah, you know songs.
Speaker 4I guess the people who sang them.
Speaker 3Oh, they're single yeah you know, Because really I don't know if you know this, but you really didn't write all the music.
Speaker 4Not music. I didn't write any of the music.
Speaker 3All the songs, it's the lyrics I wrote. No, let's go. Let's reread these top singles of 1974 to you. Okay, alright, the Way we Were Barbra Streisand.
Speaker 4That reminds me of the last song I heard. It just reminded me of me and you, me and you. Yeah, you know what the song was you and I.
Speaker 3The Way we Were. That sounds. I'm going to move on. I'm a little scared. Seasons in the Sun, terry Jacks, which we'll be talking about later in our other segment.
Speaker 4Yeah, that's funny.
Speaker 3Yeah, I like how it explains it Melodramatic, but huge. Well, it was huge. That's what people say. Oh, never mind. Yeah, that's not what Benny and the Jets. Elton John Benny, benny, that's not what Benny and the Jets.
Speaker 4Elton John.
Speaker 3Benny Benny, jungle Boogie, kool and the Gang Jungle Boogie. You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet? Bachman Turner Overdrive and Rock the Boat. Rock the Boat. Early Disco, baby Rock the Boat. Those are the top singles of 74.
Speaker 4Wow 74 had a lot to look forward to 1975.
Speaker 3I'll tell you one thing forward to 1975. I'll tell you one thing by looking at them.
Speaker 1They don't jump around though, tom.
Speaker 4You know what I mean. That's why I said they don't. The only thing they got looked forward to is 1975.
Speaker 3Moving on, don't Rock the Boat's a good song, yeah they're awesome, I mean in their own right.
Speaker 4they're all good.
Speaker 3Don't Rock the Boat. You ain't seen nothing yet.
Speaker 4BPO.
Speaker 3Yeah, you ain't seen nothing yet Jungle Boogie's a good song. Jungle Boogie, benny the Jet's a good song. They all do.
Speaker 4I'm not a fan of Barbra.
Speaker 3Streisand too much. Well, the Way we Were, I think that was in a movie too, or some shit.
Speaker 4Well, yeah, the Jerk.
Speaker 2I see the song that made me think about the way we were.
Speaker 4What song was it the Way we Were Okay, well, yay.
Speaker 3Alright, let's move on to album highlights. Another one of my favorites ho-hum, joni Mitchell, court and Spark a jazzier, more sophisticated. Turn this button you might appreciate. Bob Dylan and the band Before the Flood Live retrospective during the tour that revived Dylan's electric persona, electric and Eric Clapton, 461 Ocean Boulevard with this laid-back hit cover I Shot the Sheriff. Oh, that's what that was on. No shit yeah.
Speaker 4But it didn't shoot. Deputy.
Speaker 3Let's see Music industry notes. Fm radio has grown in influence, giving album-oriented rock more space. Awesome, the cassette was becoming more popular than 8-tracks. Damn, I was bummed out when I had to change that Wow. Major labels were bloating budgets, prepping for the mega-album era soon to come.
Speaker 4The only thing good about the cassette versus the 8-track you weren't halfway through a song before it stopped and had to switch tracks. It's funny.
Speaker 3You say that because I can listen to music now, like Kiss, for instance, detroit Rock City. It fades out and comes back in on track 3 after.
Speaker 4Some songs do.
Speaker 3If you listen to a song, I remember everybody in the vehicle. Stop, click, click, ding ding.
Speaker 2Gaming again.
Speaker 3Yep, yep, like an 8-track, but I love 8-tracks, I'm not going to lie. But bulky, all right. 74 was weird, wonderful middle child of the year. Not as flashy as 77. Not as revolutionary as 67. 67, but still full of genre shifts, icons rising and loud ones fading. It was time when musicians were stretching out, experimenting and laying the groundwork for everything to come in the punk, disco and arena rock explosion. Well, yep, lots going on, tom, lots going on.
Speaker 4Lots going on with 74. There's all kinds of stuff and you know we were talking about Earlier, about what Pip and Squeak were going to be talking about, right and everything. 74 had some great Songs that weren't quite mainstream, no, it's true, but still people heard them. It just wasn't, they didn't get the play.
Speaker 3That's another segment that's coming later. Like I said about Seasons in the Sun, that's coming later, exactly.
Speaker 4And those are things that just make you remember Right now, though I'm going to have to later Exactly. And those are things that just make you remember, right now, though I'm going to have to pause.
Speaker 3Okay, let you know, it is what it is.
Speaker 4So where were we 1974. We're still there. Yeah, man, you never know.
Deep Dive: Rock, Soul, and Disco
Speaker 3All right. So let's quickly go through this list of the different genres of 74. Right, all right. So rock, classic rock. We have Sweet Home, alabama, leonard Skinner. Yeah, there you go, band on the Run. Paul McCartney and the Rings Great Jet, paul McCartney and the Rings, again with a good song. Wow, can't Get Enough. Bad Company, radar Love, golden Era. Now doing our homework with Golden Era. Yep, the song came out in 73. Oh, and yet it's on 74. Now I look when it charted. It charted in 73. Now, maybe it charted twice, but it's not something we didn't look into.
Speaker 4Right.
Speaker 3But it says obviously, we know what that song is.
Speaker 1Great, our Love.
Speaker 3But I don't understand that. Like I said, doing research which Tom and I hardly do but this time we did we ran into this problem. Anybody ever heard of such a thing, and why does that happen? Tell us, Explain it to us. Send it, but anyways, that's classic rock.
Speaker 2Great Art Lure. Those are all good bands.
Speaker 3Great Art Lure, then we have progressive rock, slash, art rock, the Land Lies Down on Broadway. Genesis that was Peter Gabriel's storytelling stuff there. King of the World, steely Dan, dr Doctor, ufo See, I love UFO. It's one of my favorite bands growing up. Dr Doctor, give me the move. I didn't know it was called progressive rock, but just called it rock, let's see. Then we had Hard Rock More of my speed right here. But here's one name in here doesn't belong in Hard Rock. First we got Burned by Deep Purple Great song, I believe. That's when David Coverdale and I can't remember the bass player's name, it slips to me. That's the way it is. That's when they came into Deep Purple Rock and Roll, outlaw Rose Tattoo, which is a good band back then. Alright, here's the one that don't belong in hard rock to me ZZ Top, lagrange, lagrange. I like ZZ Top. I do too. I love ZZ Top. But that's not hard rock, not hard at all. No, we're still talking about music, right?
Speaker 4Yes, maybe some southern rock, exactly.
Speaker 3Crap. If you wanted to just call it rock, I could go with that. But hard rock, no, no, all right, then we had Poppin' Chalk Toppers Barbra Streisand, libby Newton-John, the Carpenters. Rest in peace. Karen Carpenter yeah, great voice, Wonderful Libby Newton-John, another one with a great voice, barbra Streisand I know people like her. Yeah, she's fine too. Abba with their song Waterloo.
Speaker 4You know what they found in Olivia Newton's John.
Speaker 3What, what did they find in her John Gomer's pile? Gomer visited Evidently Okay. Paul McCartney and Wings released Band on the Run late in 73. Good song, but it dominated 74. Okay, see, I understand that. Yeah, that makes sense. Then we had Country Crossovers. Country was blending more with pop and rock. Dolly Parton began breaking out as a solo star. John Denver had a massive year with Annie Song, annie.
Speaker 4Song and Sunshine on my Shoulders, oh, makes me sunburn.
Speaker 3Yeah, that'll do it. Wear a shirt.
Speaker 4Oh.
Speaker 3Put on sunscreen.
Speaker 4Sunshine in my eyes can make me blind.
Speaker 3We had early echoes of punk and new wave. The New York Dolls continue pushing their gritty, glam-infused punk. Precursor Precursor Blah Television and Patti Smith. Television was a band. Patti Smith were playing at CBGB in New York, laying the early foundation for punk, which was exploded. And I heard of Patti Smith I don't know who the frick television is I watch television.
Speaker 4I watch television all the time.
Speaker 3Hip hop started taking their first steps in 74. Tom Pop started taking their first steps in 74, tom, while still deeply underground and localized in the Bronx, hip-hop culture was forming with DJ Kool Herc I think that cut off somewhere, herc Winning at block parties, introducing the breakbeat technique that would later define rap. Let's see, we had Technicorp.
Speaker 4Well, that was stupid.
Speaker 3Yeah Well, stupid is something cut off on me here Divine rap.
Speaker 4So we yeah. Well, stupid is something cut off on me here.
Speaker 3Oh, that divine rap. So we have, okay, technological and industry changes. The rise of FM radio and album-oriented rock. Albums mattered more than singles. Cassette tapes were becoming more popular, giving listeners more control over what they heard and shared. Major labels were consolidating and artists were pushing for more creative control. We have cultural concept. David Bowie released Diamond, dogs, diamond.
Speaker 4Dogs.
Speaker 3Apocalyptic glam rock take, loosely inspired by Orwell's 1984, which everybody should read that book, yes, because this shit's happening and his evolving persona has kept critics and fans intrigued. We go to the next one Funk, soul and R&B. Stevie Wonder dropped, fulfilling this first finale, which won Album of the Year at the Grammys. Socially conscious, musically rich and deeply emotional. I don't know any of that. I'm sure it was great. It was. I like Stevie Wonder. But James Brown, there we go. Now we're talking While past his peak still influenced Funk's raw edges. His earlier innovations inspired Parliament, funkadelic another great band, bootsy Collins, great bass player, who released up for the downstroke, wild psychedelic funk. That shape would become G-Funk three decades later. He felt good. And then we go back to Barry White Neat. And then we get the OJs, continue to make romantic and lush soul hits. Last but not least, rise of Disco. Disco was not dominant yet, but starting to heat up. George McRae's Rock your Baby, I don't know.
Speaker 4That's not disco. I guess it's a dance song. Rock me gently. The.
Speaker 3Hughes Corporation's Rock the Bo baby. I guess it's a dance song. Rock me gently. The Hughes Corporation's Rock the Boat. I could see that going that way, casey and the Sunshine Band were making their waves. Yeah, that was when, casey and the Sunshine Band came on.
Speaker 4Yeah, that's pretty much that I can understand that, yeah, but some of that's just not disco.
Speaker 3No, but it does say early stages. Yeah, that's probably.
Speaker 1Let's be realistic, not disco.
Speaker 4No but it does say early stages, so I guess you can pick up the beat and change it. Yeah, that's probably.
Speaker 3Let's be realistic. 75, the next year after disco was big.
Speaker 4Yep and disco duck and all that stuff came popping in and everything Was inspired by 74 music, obviously.
Speaker 3Right.
Speaker 4So, that's.
Speaker 3That's kind of like Squeak on one of his episodes, jumping ahead on Disco Duck Speaking of oh, my God. We should get him in here because there's more music I'd like to talk about. Let's see what Squeak's going to take us this time. Yeah, probably. A worldwide tour yeah, probably. Well, let's go take a break ourselves and let them little guys come in and hopefully everything goes accordingly this time Did you hide your snacks.
Speaker 4Well, I didn't bring any because I knew what would happen if I did.
Speaker 3Yeah, probably better off. He's probably going to be a little bitch about it, but anyways, people will be back. Enjoy this episode, yep.
Speaker 1Hey, hey, whoa, wait, wait, wait, we got to stop already. Go ahead, hey, bip, bip, whoa, oh my God, why? Hey, did you hear that stupid shit they had on there today? Wait a minute. Squeak, what's going on with you? The music, I'm excited. I'm excited. I guess you are Boy. You just jumped right in, yeah, because, listen, listen to me, I'm listening, I'm listening. Squeak Last week Right, they made fun of me Because of my song, not really.
Speaker 1They snuck in the middle of the road. Well, well, guess what? Oh boy, no, no, no, no, not all boy. Guess what? What? Squeak Two, Two weeks in a row. It was on two years, excuse me, oh boy, yeah, it was the number one. Well, listen, I'm listening.
Speaker 1Squeak, they took in the middle of the road. Well, they thought I was so damn dumb. Well, no, guess what? I was not as dumb as they thought I was. You got lucky. Squeak, no, no, no, no, no. Look, listen, listen, there's no such thing as luck. Of course there is. What, where, where?
Speaker 1Hey, what's your point about that skunk Squeak, get it out of your system. No, no, my point is. My point is it was a dance punk in the middle of the road and they made fun of whoever listened to that. Well, guess what Made top ten in two years? Well, I guess I don't understand that song Squeak. It is kind of ridiculous. Why would people listen to that? Well, probably because this era was a lot of drug use. Yeah, Well, what's your point? My point is if you do a lot of drugs Right, then a dead skunk in the middle of the road is a big deal.
Speaker 1Why can't they sing? Hey, I see possums in the road all the time. I see Squirrels. I see birds of green. No, no, no, everybody. Why don't they sing? Dead possum in the middle of the road? Well, because that's not what it is. Or dead squirrel in the middle of the road. And did you really? You say that? See, that sounds stupid. Not his stomach in the middle of the road. Dead squirrel in the middle of the road? There you go. That sounds like a hit right there. A hit, yeah, I hit a damn squirrel in the middle of the road?
Speaker 2Well, that's dumb.
Speaker 1Why? Because I don't stink. No, middle of the road. There you go. Well, that's dumb. Why? Because they don't stink? No, because a possum Right. A possum Right In the middle of the road is dead. That's more believable. Okay, then why don't you sing that? That's more believable. Dead skunk in the middle of the road. How about dead possum in the middle of the road? Dead possum in the middle of the road? That sounds stupid, not really, okay. Dead opossum in the middle of the road. Now you're getting there, okay, so there we go. Well, spell it right, we might think about it. Opossum, opossum, opossum, opossum. What about opossum?
Speaker 2You say tomato.
Speaker 1I say tomato. No, I just did Listen. I'm listening. Opossum, what on God's green earth the strength to just come out here shouting shit today? Well, listen, I'm listening. I was excited. Ah, they always make fun of my shit. Did you sit and choice laugh on a helicopter again? No, no, no, no, all of a sudden. Okay, my stuff's okay and it made sense, okay, and then all of a sudden, I was this and now you want to turn it down.
Speaker 1So you heard a little bit, you did a little bit of research and said, ha ha ha, what about all the other stupid songs? What other stupid songs? Okay, kung Fu Fightin' the Streak? Okay, who wants the Streak? While they're Kung Fu Fightin', you might get karate chopped in your, in your nuts. What In chopped in your, in your nuts? What In the grapes In the nuts? Yeah, well, Grape nuts those was an old cereal.
Speaker 1Okay, did you want to talk about any other music, music, any other songs? Well, now that you bring it up, oh goodness that you bring it up, oh goodness, I would like to talk about another song. What song would that be? Squeak? Well, remember when we talked, please make it be a good song. No, remember when we talked the other week when we were saying stuff about spiders and snakes, jim Stafford, yeah, that the guys just talked about. Well, he's got another song. Oh, good Lord, the Wildwood Weed, wildwood Weed. Yeah, is this like a smokable weed? Yeah, it's a wonderful song. It's a wonderful song. Okay, you piqued my interest. Well, how about? Are you interested in hearing about how his brother? He found him naked, singing on the windmill About what? The Wildwood weed. What was he singing about? The weed, the Wildwood Weed. What was he singing about? The weed, the Wildwood Weed. Wait, where did he find this Wildwood Weed? It was out growing out back, you see. Have you never heard the song? I don't believe.
Speaker 1I have Squeak. You probably ought to listen to it.
Speaker 2Why should I?
Speaker 1Well, because it tells about how he found this weed and they were chewing on it and then, all of a sudden, they were somewhere else. Now, squeak. You know how I feel about drugs. What do you feel? I don't like them. I don't think they're good for people. Look at those two idiots I put on this podcast. Does that tell you anything? Yeah, you're silly as hell. See what I'm saying. Yeah, you're nuttier than squirrel shit. Why am I nutty? You don't like drugs. I think it's very disgusting. Okay, I have one word for you. What's that? Research? What kind of research? Don't do research. Look at those. Have you not been listening to those two? No, no, no. Research. What have you been doing? Research with Myself? Okay, yes, yes, yourself, yes, yes, what was the research you did? I did research on myself. Okay, how, what do you mean? How? What'd you buy? I bought nothing. You're talking about that dumbass, mike? Yeah, but he has nothing to do with me. I swear Troy and I don't. We're not talking with me.
Speaker 2I swear we're not talking about me Squeak.
Speaker 1Troy and I don't share a needle either. We're not talking about me right now, squeak. We're talking about you. You have a problem. I have no problem, you do. Nope. What's my problem? Squeak, what is it? First step is admitting you have no problem. You do Nope. What's my problem? Look at Squeak, what is it? First step is admitting you have a problem. Okay, well, I haven't learned to walk yet, ben, you walk just fine. Nope, first step admitting I have a problem, but you don't have a problem. Well, what's my problem? It's not walking. Well, maybe you'd be walking after your other problem. Oh, is that the problem you're talking about? Wait a minute, I need to take a pill here. I have a headache. Wait a minute, there's no problem. What, what I smoke? Yeah, I have no problem. Okay, see, yeah, what? Yeah, okay, see, what are you smoking. What's that? It's? It's my vitamins. Yes, yes, you should try them.
Speaker 2What.
Speaker 1Everybody should have vitamins Vitamin T, vitamin A Stop saying that. Vitamin C, stop Vitamin C. Okay, abracadabra, abracazam. No, I can't wait till we get to that year. What a dumb song. That fucker was Abracadabra. Never mind Gonna reach out and stab you. Yeah, that's what I'd like to do with that song. Whoever come up with that. What an idiot. So how did your ride go today? My, what your ride? My ride? Did Troy pick you up? Yes, yes, yes, he did, good Lord. What? How'd the ride go? Well, we're fine. Why, why, why, why? Why all this? Oh, my God, something, because I'm still a little suspicious of the situation. What is the situation that are you suspicious of? Listen, listen. I'd be suspicious if I found bloomers in my wife's glove box. Okay, but why did we just go down that road? Well, that's kind of the road you took us down.
Speaker 2And why are we saying bloomers?
Speaker 1We can't go on together. What we're suspicious minds, what Suspicious. Why can't you just say pants? Why do you have to say bloomers? They are bloomers. Undies, no, panties, no, no, no. Ah, that sounds awful, you know, bloomers, panties on the wall, that don't bother me at all. No, no, no, no, why. Why, why would you? Because the panties are stuck to the wall. No, no, no, no. That's why we say bloomers, okay, bloomers on the wall? No, there's no. They, they, bloomers can't make it to the wall. What if they're moist? No, no, bloomers, bloomers listen to me, too heavy, listen. They can't make it to the wall. Why, they're too big Bloomers. Go on. A big girl, big girls have bloomers. Why can't they be really wet and stuck to the wall? No, no, no, big girls don't do that. Big girls don't cry. They don't cry. No, no, no, no. We don't do that. Okay, all right, I get it. Okay, are you sure you get it? I get it. I won't bring it up again. Okay, okay, no, don't. Okay, don't, don't break it up again.
Speaker 1So any other music you'd like to discuss? Well, you don't have to. I don't really know if there's anything I want to discuss. Yeah, that's what I thought. I want to hear more, maybe uh, how the helicopter ride went today. How did it go? Well, it went all right. We were way up in the sky. Yeah, that's what helicopters do Squeak, not always. Oh, you mean when you push the pilot out of the helicopter. I didn't push him, he failed. Oh, yeah, the turbulence. Yeah, yeah, that's what it was turbulence yeah.
Speaker 1And after the turbulence came the ambulance. I don't see Troy didn't heal real nicely. I still see him with a limp First off again. Oh, okay, how do you heal? Not very nicely, I know you made that point clear, but he still looks like he's in a little bit of pain. Well, it probably is. He fell from a damn helicopter Because you pushed him no, no, no, no. Or he jumped because he got sick of hearing you. I refuse to believe turbulence passed Troy out of his helicopter. Who said he jumped? You did no, no, turbulence, no, no, turbulence, no, no, no. A couple episodes ago you said I was wrong. You said you were wrong last time too. But I don't believe you. Listen, listen, okay, if Troy wants to jump, he can jump without me saying it.
Speaker 1Okay, he jumped. How about this? Okay, once again, we'll agree to disagree. I don't disagree at all. Yes, you do. And we're going to end this now Because I don't like your attitude right now. First, you jumped in at my intro, which I'm very upset about. No, no, no, your intro. I'm excited. I want to talk about music. I was excited, yeah. Well, I hope your excitement's gone now. My song went two freaking years. What'd your song do? It's just a stupid song. Anyways, bye folks, we'll see you next time. I'm gone Later.
Speaker 3Wow, oh shit, a little different. A little bit what the hell was that song.
Speaker 4Yeah, Wildwood Weed.
Pip and Squeak's Music Tangent
Speaker 3I don't think I've ever heard it, have you not? I don't believe so Might have surprised me with that one. Yeah, they're sitting there.
Speaker 4He's very passionate about it.
Speaker 3They're sitting there on that sack of seed Jeez, and then of course, he had to bring up I'm so proud of Dead Skunk Came out in this year.
Speaker 4Oh my gosh, he tried it out this year. Oh my gosh, he tried it this year. Yeah well, well, well, well, yeah well. You, A blind squirrel, will find a nut every once in a while.
Speaker 3This is true. He found it twice yeah.
Speaker 4Well, he has two. No, no, no, he's pretty arrogant about it too.
Speaker 3Yeah, he's arrogant, but too, no, no, no, pretty arrogant about it too.
Speaker 4Yeah, he's arrogant, but anyway, still good songs. Yeah, I guess Good songs.
Speaker 3I guess we'll move on to our little ditty. Yeah, our little ditty we're going to move on to. Let's see, we'll move on to the musical landscape how it kind of changed in 74. It was a transitional year in music.
Speaker 4It was.
Speaker 3The counterculture in the 60s has faded and the flamboyance of the 70s was in full swing. Rock was diversifying, soul and funk were maturing, disco was on the rise. The groundworks for punk hip-hop were quietly forming. This year didn't mark a revolution, but rather a fascinating evolution, a mix of experimentation, commercial success and cultural shifts. Well, that's for sure, there was a lot of stuff was definitely changing then, boy oh boy and again. You know a lot of the music I heard, but from my little radio or being in my parents' vehicle.
Speaker 4Right right.
Speaker 3If I was with my dad, it was mostly going to be the Glenn Miller era or country.
Speaker 4Yeah, that's me.
Speaker 3And then Sunday mornings my dad had to listen to whatever polka thing was playing.
Speaker 4But my mom the John Candy album.
Speaker 3Polka, polka, polka yeah that's the one that was Sunday mornings. I'll never forget. I've got to go do it with my dad to do errands what the hell. But anyway mom, different story country Elvis rock, whatever. That was my mom, yep. So that's where a lot of these songs come from the memories. Tom, I understand, I understand you with your 20 siblings.
Speaker 4Yeah Well, there was only eight of them.
Speaker 1I was nine.
Speaker 3Eight is enough, eight is enough.
Speaker 4Eight was enough. Well then, where in the hell did I come from?
Speaker 3We're not going to get into that, yeah let's skip that, let's see, don't forget to also rock in its many branches. Let's see, classic rock was king, but it was splintering into various subgenres. Progressive rock bands like Genesis and yes released complex theatrical albums. Genesis, the Lamb Dies Down on Broadway. That was Peter Gabriel's swan song with the band High rock, again. Metal with Zeppelin toured heavily. No album that year, but still dominant. While Deep Purple released Burn, introducing David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, Glenn. Hughes was the name I forgot earlier.
Speaker 3Southern Rock was gaining popularity, leonard Skinner released Second Helpings with Sweet Home, alabama, a defining moment in the genre. And Subtle Shot at Neil Young I read a story about that and they were actually friends. They didn. And subtle shot at Neil Young and I read a story about that and they were actually friends.
Speaker 4Yeah, they didn't take a shot at nobody.
Speaker 3Then we had soft rock and singer-songwriters artists like James Taylor, joni Mitchell, carole King, jackson Browne again continued shot.
Speaker 4Browne and not empty.
Speaker 3Let's see. Yeah, so my favorite part is going to come up with the one-hit wonders. Yeah, and when we were reading this list, we were shocked at how many good songs were on it?
Speaker 4Yeah, because I didn't realize that they weren't mainstream songs.
Speaker 3It's like one-hit wonders, that's it. You heard them and you never heard from these bands again. And they probably had other stuff, but nobody's ever heard. You know, I haven't. I haven't either the first one, seasons in the Sun, terry Jacks, a massive hit worldwide. Morbid, sentimental and somehow cheerful all at once. They started a French song by Jacques Brel. People either sobbed or rolled their eyes, or both.
Speaker 4Cheerful. Oh, that's what it says. What are you?
Speaker 3I guess the seasons in the sun was cheerful. We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun. Just don't listen to the part after that. Exactly.
Speaker 4Skip over that part. Oh, we went to the park and played, but don't listen to the part where I came home and beat the shit out of your mom.
Speaker 3No, no, no, it's the cheerful part before.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, Cheerful part before.
Speaker 3You're going too much on one section of the song.
Speaker 4Okay, evidently, next, all right. Next we have Rock the Boat by Hughes Corporation song.
Speaker 3Okay, evidently Next. Alright, next we have Rock the Boat by Hughes Corporation, often called the first disco hit to top the charts, which, yes, I believe that more Great beat funky bass, and then the group was never heard from again on the Hot 100s.
Speaker 4Well, that was it for them. Well, they rocked the boat.
Speaker 3Rocked the boat too much. They tipped the boat over.
Speaker 4Evidently you should have got off the boat.
Speaker 3You can only rock it for so long. All right Beach Baby by the First Class. Now I remember also. This one sounds like the Beach Boys, but it's a British studio band Nostalgic song for a time they didn't live through Barry Meadow.
Speaker 4Barry Meadow-o Meadow though.
Speaker 3Yeah, not him. I used to think that was the Beach Boys. Yeah, Before you had internet and all that crap, I didn't know who it was. I said well, but then I could never find it on an album.
Speaker 4Well, it's like Cat Scratch Fever. I always thought that was Cat Stevens. No, because it was Cat. Did you really?
Speaker 3You were Well, it was Cat Very delusional. How old were you? You were very young.
Speaker 4Oh, very young, what will you leave us?
Speaker 3this time, there you go again. That's the Cat Stevens.
Speaker 4Oh yes.
Speaker 3Yes, yes, damn it, Tom, but hey, would you remember Beach Baby, I do Beach.
Speaker 4Baby, I do Beach Baby. Beach Baby gave me answers. Doesn't that sound like the freaking Beach Boys? Well, it did, because they sang about a beach. That's probably what threw everybody off. Yeah, kind of like Cat Stevens. And.
Speaker 3Anyways, they faded. That was it for them. One hit, yeah, that's it. There was another one. This is one we sing at work quite a bit Billy Don't Be a Hero by Bo Donaldson and the Haywoods. Oh Vietnam era anthem disguised as a bubblegum pop hit Very anti-war, very catchy, very gone after this song.
Speaker 4When you said it was something we sing quite a bit at work, I thought take this job and shove it. Yeah, Another song we sing a bit of work. I thought take this job and shove it. Yeah, another song we sing a lot at work. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. See, now when you read it, I understand I was wrong. I understand.
Speaker 3Took it a word from you on that sad podcast. Sad All right. How about the Night? Chicago Died by Paper Lace? Well, how about it? It's a good song. British band singing about a fictional American gang war in Chicago Sounds like the musical version of a bad cop drama. First off Hit number one.
Speaker 4Okay. Well, here's what I'm getting out of this. It's a British band, yep, singing about An American problem.
Speaker 3That typical yeah, there you go, there, those Brits go sticking their nose in our business again.
Speaker 2They just can't stay away.
Speaker 3Hey Redcoats, you lost the war.
Speaker 4No doubt Leave us alone.
Speaker 3You've got your own problems over there, yeah, go on.
Speaker 4Can't even tell somebody, get some braces, get some braces, get some braces. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3Yeah, no, I don't. Oh shit, all right, we're moving on. Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me by. Reunion. There you go Fast, talking, name dropping ode to radio and pop culture Basically a rap song before rap hit the mainstream.
Speaker 4Rap.
Speaker 3Rap. Yeah, rap Tom, Not W-R-A-P, it's R-A-P. That was a rap song Before rap songs became rap songs.
Speaker 4Well, wait a minute, I just read it.
Speaker 3Did you not understand the words that were coming out of my mouth?
Speaker 4I did, but here's the problem. All right, hear you out, yeah, hear me out. Okay, go ahead. How does rap become rap? Before rap became rap? That's stupid.
Speaker 3Well, it said basically it's the wording Basically a rap song. Yeah, I was in basic math Before rap hit the mainstream.
Speaker 4I was in basic math Before rap hit the mainstream. I was in basic math. I understand it's for stupid people.
Speaker 3Why are you telling people you were in it then? Well see, I know, Now you sound stupid.
Speaker 4No, that song does. That was dumb. Okay, you're right Anyway.
Speaker 3Okay, how about Hooked on a Feeling guys?
Speaker 1Oh yeah.
Speaker 4Oog Chaka.
Speaker 3Yes, the Ooga Chaka version.
Speaker 4I like the Ooga Chaka version.
Speaker 3The Swedish. The Swedish feed BJ Thomas 1968. Hit BJ Thomas, but we're glad they did Wait a minute. Okay, do you know who this BJ Thomas is? He's a country singer. I guess he was hooked on a frickin' field. Wait a minute, BJ Thomas.
Speaker 4Was he hooked on a field? I have to do some research? Bj Thomas Begin right here. Yeah, he's got some popular stuff that everybody should know and I'll give it to you here in just a second.
Speaker 3Okay, I recognize raindrops keep falling on my head.
Speaker 4Achy fell. Huh. Yeah, that wasn't one that stood out, but I didn't realize that was him. Hooked on a feeling, yeah.
Speaker 3Yep, PJ sang it first before Blue Sweet.
Speaker 4I just can't help believing His was more soulful, something inside of me, no shit, I knew, I knew this guy was like something. And then he come out with something crazy like that Anyway, it was a sidetrack, like something. And then he come out with something crazy like that, anyway it was a sidetrack, sorry, and who knew?
Speaker 3I didn't know this shit. I did See that, folks, you just listened to live research.
Speaker 4Yes, we did. And here's the thing. This is what makes this work. I don't know what we're idiots no, no, that ain't what makes it work. That is what makes this work. I don't know what we're idiots no, no, that ain't what makes it work. That's what makes it funny. But what makes it work is you know the performers and the artists and everything, and I know the songs.
Speaker 1And I know.
Speaker 4And when BJ Thomas comes up, I kind of know, hey wait, bing ding, ding, ding, ding, ding ding. Light bulb, light bulb. That's what makes this fun we're learning from each other.
Speaker 3Man. There's a lot of songs there that he did. Okay, well, moving on, now that we've learned that, that was Will and Sonny and our last one here you and me against the world. Helen Reddy. She had other hits, but this song marked her last major US chart moment. Over the top ballad with a spoken intro by her daughter. I've never heard of it.
Speaker 4Evidently the world won, if that was the last one.
Speaker 3Yeah, never heard of that one there. Tom, Never heard of that one at all.
Speaker 4Heard somebody against the world, and that was the last one.
Speaker 3It hurting somebody against the world. And that was the last one. It was probably Delta Dawn man after that, or I Am Woman. Hear Me, roar. I never heard a woman, roar, I'm going to scream talk nonsense.
Speaker 4Yeah, jibber jabber.
Speaker 3Yeah, that kind of stuff.
Speaker 4Anyway. So I'm curious here, curious yeah, yes, so our segment now is what were they thinking? Curious here, curious yeah.
Speaker 3Yes. So our segment now is what were they thinking? 1974 edition, dierks Bentley.
Speaker 4Yeah, I don't think he's on. No, no, well, he was way after 1974. Anyway, he had a song. What Was I Thinking?
Speaker 3Anyway, go ahead, He'll figure Stuff. I didn't need to know. Alright, oh look, Our first. What Were they Thinking? Song is a squeak favorite. Oh God, the Streak Ray Stevens Well, of course they're naked Actually charted number one on Billboard Top 100. Of course it's a squeak favorite.
Speaker 4They'reak. Sorry about people. They're naked.
Speaker 3Poor Ethel.
Speaker 4Yeah, a big naked woman. There you go, squeak hey.
Speaker 3So why was this man wife so interested in the squeak? What do they have going on for them At the free throw line?
Speaker 4Yeah, getting a snow cone. She done got a free throw. Yeah, that's what happened. Poor Ethel, poor Ethel, she'd take anything.
Speaker 3So what were they thinking coming up? What was Ray Stevens thinking with this song?
Speaker 4What was he thinking with any of the songs he sings? I know?
Speaker 3I mean, 70s were a funny time. We had Jim Stafford, yeah, spiders and snakes. We had weird songs, but anyways.
Speaker 4A lot of songs.
Speaker 3There's some weird songs. Oh look, look who's on the. What Were they Thinking Billy Don't Be a Hero? Oh Billy, okay. What were they thinking Billy don't be a hero? Oh Billy, okay. Charting number one in the US. And this is, I guess it says it was a pee-pee war song, anti-war song. That sounds like it should be selling chewing gum.
Speaker 4Well, it was at one point.
Speaker 3You know, Tom, it's the only protest song where the battlefield sounded like a marching band on the Fourth of July parade.
Speaker 4Well, I remember one thing about that song. What's that? When I was probably 10, 11, 12 years old, the town I grew up in, a little small town in Midwest Kansas, had a day they called Whoopie Day, which was a celebration of the day they became a town.
Speaker 2Whoopie Day, a Whoopie Day.
Speaker 4Whoopie Goldberg no, no, no, no, not at all. She wasn't even around at that time. No, no, whoopie. Anyway, we had like grease pole contest where they put put grease on this pole and see how far you could climb.
Speaker 3Like Italian festivals.
Speaker 4And they'd sling cow turds and see how far you could sling them. They're dry, not wet.
Speaker 3Really living it up there.
Speaker 4We stepped up, but anyway, they had their version of the gong show, which 10-year-old 11-year-old me thought it would be a great idea to sing the only song I knew by heart Billy Don't Be a Hero. I got up there and got 22 points.
Speaker 3You liked to sing when you were little.
Speaker 4I liked to sing anyway, yeah, we noticed that work. Anyway, music is music to me. But anyway, back then, yeah, and when I got off stage, my dad was there and he was so proud and he looked at me, looked me right in the eye and he said I'm proud of you, son. If you were singing for shit, you'd be a turd in a hole.
Speaker 3Wow, inspiring.
Speaker 4Yeah, anyway.
Speaker 3Well, that sounds like a good moment, if it really happened.
Speaker 4So anyway, Billy Don't. Be, a Hero was one of them favorite songs of mine. What were they thinking? What in the hell?
Speaker 3Anyway, it's a good song though.
Speaker 4Yeah, if you listen to it, it is.
Speaker 3Okay, here's what I'm a little weary about Having my Baby by Paul Anka.
Speaker 4We're not a real couple.
Speaker 3Oh wait, it's supposed to be romantic, tom. Why does it end up sounding creepy? Right Having my Baby? It's supposed to be romantic, tom. Why did I go there? Why does it end up sounding creepy? Yeah a little bit.
Speaker 4Right, you're having my baby. You didn't know she was going to have your baby. On a side note critics called it one of the worst number one songs of all time.
Speaker 3Oh one of the worst of all time. Hey, I love this. Ladies, if you ever dreamed of being serenaded by your OBGYN, this one's for you.
Speaker 4That's hilarious, oh my God.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 4I love it. Some strange things I did to you while you were unconscious.
Speaker 3Okay, speaking of Jim, Stafford, he's on our list. You while you were unconscious. Okay, Speaking of Jim Stafford, he's on our list of what they were thinking. His song Charged Spiders and Snakes, charred at number three Of course it did. Southern Swampy talks singing about confusing courtship rituals. This is the anthem for anyone whose pickup line involves actual wildlife.
Speaker 4Okay, Well, Squeak's going to have some shit about him too.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 4That's one of the dudes.
Speaker 3Maybe Squeak won't even hear this episode. Yeah, Hopefully. Sometimes he's in a Well, you know him and Troy are besties now.
Speaker 4Yeah, they fly from helicopters and shit yeah.
Speaker 3Let's see how about this song charted at number eight? Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me A breathless mashup of pulp culture. Name drops at warp speed. I'm not 100% sure. I know that song yeah, life is a rock, but the radio rolled me.
Speaker 4Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, never mind, never mind, it is a weird song. One of them. Other songs that.
Speaker 3One of them. Other songs, like Some Other Lady.
Speaker 4Yeah, it's one of them songs that just sing about shit that ain't even in the title.
Speaker 3What was some other motorcycle doing cleaning your navel yesterday? What was up with that, anyway, yeah well, you want to move on?
Speaker 4Well, I'm just wondering if the new fella, the new fella Is going to get some belly lint for Father's Day.
Speaker 3That's probably all he deserves. Anyways, we'll move on, let's get back on track.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 3We have a song called Boogie Down, eddie Kendricks, chartered at number two. The song is called Boogie Down, but the tempo is more like mild wiggle. A mild wiggle. Oh just a wiggle. This is what happens when you want to dance but also really need to stay seated.
Speaker 4The big wiggle.
Speaker 3What do I do?
Speaker 4It's not really a wave, it's a ripple.
Speaker 3It's a ripple. A fat person sitting on a, yeah, okay, my Girl. Bill by Jim Stafford.
Speaker 1My Girl Bill Jim Stafford again.
Speaker 3On the. What were they thinking? Okay, that song chartanted at number 12. It was a lyrical bait and switch to sound like a gay love song. It was, but it's actually about a girl named Bill's Girl Must be the first chanted song to catfish listeners, I guess.
Speaker 4I'm not sure I believe that, but okay.
Speaker 3You don't believe that.
Speaker 4I think it's a gay song.
Speaker 3You're sticking to that.
Speaker 4I'm sticking to that.
Speaker 3Why would he write a gay song? But it says Bill's girl.
Speaker 4Okay, there you go. Oh this is 2025.
Speaker 3That's right, yeah.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3It can be anything you want. Yep, oh, wait a minute. Anyways, burby, ah, tom, here's one of your favorites that we discuss at work. Oh, going home Midnight at the Oasis, oh my God.
Speaker 4Put your cable to bed.
Speaker 3That's sign charted number six yes, it did, it did.
Speaker 4It's going to be the sexiest lullaby I have ever heard in my life.
Speaker 3Or an intense commercial for camel shampoo or a cigarette. Hey baby, Put your camel to bed, and you can't unhear it. It's been stuck in my head forever, man, ever since you told me what it said.
Speaker 4That's the first thing I hear when I hear that song Put your camel to bed. What are you doing?
What Were They Thinking? Strange Songs
Speaker 3with your camel? Why are you putting it to bed? Camel doesn't know to go to bed. What happened with the camel?
Speaker 4Oh shit Anyway.
Speaker 3Inquiring minds want to know. No, we really don't probably.
Speaker 4We probably don't want to know about your camel, we don't. No, probably, moose knuckle, maybe, maybe, no, but no camel.
Speaker 3No camel toe, no whale. How about Rock On? Rock On David.
Speaker 4Exix.
Speaker 3Hey kids, rock On, Rock On, rock On, rock on, rock on. Listen to this. This song sounds like it was recorded in the Batcave by sleep-deprived David Bowie impersonator.
Speaker 4How would he know where the Batcave was?
Speaker 3That's like glam rock on Nightquill. It says All right, I actually don't mind that song. A little weird, a little spacey, but hey Okay, our last weird, a little spacey, but hey Okay, our last one, tom Last For our. What Were they Thinking songs? Oh, earache, my Eye Cheech and Chong.
Speaker 4I have an earache Earache my Eye.
Speaker 3Get out of bed. Cheech and Chey Classic. That is a classic. I don't know Some of these songs. What would they think? Midnight at the Oasis, that's the time Right there, that's the number one. Come on.
Speaker 4Are you gonna just why don't you just sing a song About pornographic Movies? That's pretty much what that song was.
Speaker 3Yeah, but it sounds more like beastality or something. What are you doing with your camera, Right?
Speaker 4right, right In a tent out in the desert.
Speaker 3Oh boy Tom, I don't know Some messed up stuff there buddy, it was a little bit back in the 70s.
Speaker 4Of course you know they snorted coke off the fucking table In a nightclub.
Speaker 3Snorted coke everywhere. Yeah Well, Tom, I think it's been a great session today.
Speaker 4I enjoyed this.
Speaker 3I'm looking forward to 75 next week bud.
Speaker 4We're getting close to when I can remember stuff.
Speaker 3I'm starting to remember more here, not because of the. Anyways, yeah, I understand, but no, looking forward to it, I don't know what Pip and Squeak are going to talk about. Really don't care. That's up to them guys. We give them their little time slot.
Speaker 4Well, you never can tell what's coming out.
Speaker 3No, but let's remind our listeners where they can listen to us. There's Spotify, amazon Music, iheartradio, deezer FM, deepcast FM, buzzsprout, our webpage, mtalpodcom, and folks on our webpage. There's a little microphone. Click on it. You can leave us a message. There's different ways to get in touch with us. Please let us know what you would like to hear. Right now we're on this musical journey, but if there's a song from the air that we're going to be doing, let us know.
Speaker 4Yeah, just give us a shout, even if it's just something. Hey, guys, we like what you're doing, or hey, can you tweak it this way or do that? Just give us something. Feedback, feedback.
Speaker 3Exactly, feedback folks. Anyways, it's been a great episode, tom, looking forward to the next one.
Speaker 4Always appreciate God for the gift of gab.
Speaker 3Everyone peace out. God bless Later.
Final Thoughts and Next Episode Teaser
Speaker 2Well, well, well, Mike and Tom actually made it through another episode without spontaneously combusting A miracle, really. But don't get too cozy, folks. Next time on the MT Alternative Podcast, we're cranking the dial back to 1975. That's right, Dust off your bell bottoms, fluff up your feathered hair and prepare for a soundtrack that includes more cowbell than any human should endure. And yes, Pip and Squeak will be back why, no one really knows, Not even them. Will they stay on topic? Will they finally resolve that argument about disco versus prog rock? Will Squeak bring his interpretive dance again? The answer is probably yes, and unfortunately also yes. So tune in next time, because if there's one thing we guarantee, it's that absolutely anything can happen, especially when it really really shouldn't. Until then, keep it weird, keep it loud and remember 1975 called it, wants its synthesizer back. Goodnight degenerates.
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