Blogs

Blue-Eyed Soul By The California Poppy Pickers

Submitted by dbostrom on Thu, 04/10/2008 - 17:26

If you’re lucky, and you haunt your local dollar bins long enough, you’ll still find albums on the Alshire label. But the best ones are getting harder and harder to find. You’ll still come across the odd 101 Strings album, provided it doesn’t have hot models in skimpy sixties getups on the cover — most of those were snapped up and shipped overseas long ago. But you’ll almost never find records by the Animated Egg, Doctor Marigold’s Prescription or John Bunyan’s Progressive Pilgrims. You also won’t find too many albums by the subject of this week’s featured fetish, the California Poppy Pickers.

Come To The Sunshine in the Springtime!

Submitted by cometothesunshine on Tue, 04/08/2008 - 09:09

Friends & Listeners:

I am just getting into my personal spring break, which means lots of refilling of Sunshine 45's and LP's. However, I will still be on every Monday with rebroadcasts of some of my favorite "Come To The Sunshine" shows on www.luxuriamusic.com from 4 to 6PM (PST).

Even better, Luxuria will be playing "Come To The Sunshine" every Sunday at an hour that many of you East Coasters, Europeans and worker bees (like me) can finally hear it (without breaking any rules).

Tune in to "Come To The Sunshine" on Sundays at 7AM this spring. (That is 10AM EST and roughly 3PM or so in Europe - depending on where our daylight savings puts you). My show is followed by other great '60s oriented programs:

10AM - Riot On Sunset Strip hosted by Domenic Priore
12PM - Pepperland Spicerack hosted by Kristian Hoffman

Les Humphries, R.I.P.

Submitted by dbostrom on Tue, 03/18/2008 - 00:00

Though it happened over two months ago, word of the death of Les Humphries in England is just starting to trickle out onto the internet. Apparently, he died on the day after Christmas, of heart failure brought on by a severe case of pneumonia. He was 67 years old.

Camarata And The Mike Sammes Singers: Songs From Doctor Dolittle

Submitted by dbostrom on Tue, 02/26/2008 - 05:06

I saw “Doctor Dolittle” starring Rex Harrison and Anthony Newley during its maiden 1967 release. I was seven then, far too young to know I was witnessing a train wreck. On the contrary: my three year old brother and I thrilled to the film and the temporary relief its magical world provided from our own mundane existence.

Another Hercules Parade Model, 1997

Submitted by Miehana on Sun, 02/24/2008 - 01:00


I'm not a huge fan of the movie, but working on the Disneyland parade which debuted at the time of the film's release is a fond memory.

Here is my original plastic and wood model based on Jody's concept for a float in the "Hercules Victory Parade" which ran at Disneyland in 1997.

Presidential Tchotchkas

Submitted by dbostrom on Fri, 02/22/2008 - 20:10

Here's a cute little piece written especially for Luxuria some time last year, during one of Chuck's ongoing attempts to muster enough contributions for a new "Magnificent Seven" column. Alas, it was not to be, so I used it for filler over at BOSTWORLD during a particularly hectic week. I am happy to return it finally to its intended home:

Disneyland Characters Backstage - Early 1960s

Submitted by Miehana on Thu, 02/21/2008 - 01:00

Snow White seems to have been hanging out with the wrong crowd in those days.
Even more intriguing than the odd grouping, this photo was taken backstage in the large open area behind Main Street and Tomorrowland. You can see the bright aluminum nose of the TWA Moonliner in the background, and the brand new Administration Building on the right. Today, the rear wall of Space Mountain would be engulfing that circus tent back there.

Disneyland Characters Backstage - Early 1960s
Originally uploaded by Miehana

1975: And The Changes To Come

Submitted by dbostrom on Tue, 02/12/2008 - 01:00

Orbit III

Submitted by dbostrom on Mon, 01/28/2008 - 17:12

Here’s another obscure but not-undistinguished album of electronic retro-pop. This one has the double distinction of not only being synthesizer driven, but also leaning heavily on songs from the Beatles’ “White Album. Named after its primary instrument, Wurlitzer’s popular synth/organ combo (your church probably had one), Orbit III is actually producers Jerry Styner and Larry Brown. The back cover says that much. Little else is available on either this album or its players. The label, Beverly Hills, is still in operation, but they are much more interested in shilling for their own current product than shedding light on the obscurities in the dark, best-forgotten corners of their back catalog.

Songs Of Spiritual Uplift As Sung By Today’s Sounds

Submitted by dbostrom on Wed, 01/02/2008 - 11:23

I put together “Songs Of Spiritual Uplift” back in 1996, shortly after it became apparent that the Meat Puppets were headed for a permanent hiatus. I still had some Nirvana money burning a hole in my pocket, so I made a few phone calls, dumped some gear into the back of my pickup, and made for the recording studio. For a couple years, I actually offered the four-song seven-inch EP on my Web site. I even sold one or two, believe it or not.

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