Golden Hits Radio & GHR-2's Everything Oldies.....the worldwide leader in Oldies news
- If you're holding tickets to see Ray Davies on his upcoming tour, go ahead and change your plans
- Condolences to former Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin on the loss of his wife
- The European Union tells Italy to pay up for an Elton John gig
- Speaking of Sir Elton, he'll soon add another gig to his distinguished resume
Where In The World Is.......Brewer & Shipley?
In the short time that Brewer & Shipley were a force on the charts and had their names uttered regularly by DJs and the record buying public, they somehow managed to go from famous to notorious thanks to landing on a rather famous "list" that actually brought them as much attention as their one brief moment in the music spotlight. They wreaked quite a bit of havoc for a one hit wonder!
Brewer & Shipley's beginnings were innocuous enough. They crossed paths numerous times in the Midwest playing various coffeehouses before deciding to team up, move to Los Angeles, and focus on songwriting. They released two albums with little success, and in spite of having hugely successful friends from groups including Buffalo Springfield and The Association, they moved away from L.A., and by the time success finally hit, they were in the rock & roll hotbed of Kansas City, Missouri.
Their third album, Tarkio (named after a regular gig they were playing at the time in Tarkio, Missouri), provided their national breakthrough. A song that was written as a joke and something of an afterthought became a Top 10 hit, and got the attention of the White House in the wrong way. "One Toke Over The Line" has a very unique distinction as being possibly the only hit song ever officially condemned by the Vice President of the United States (Spiro Agnew) as being "subversive to American youth" while being performed the same week on one of the most family friendly TV shows of all time, The Lawrence Welk Show. On top of that, Lawrence Welk himself referred to the song as a "spiritual" following its performance! Who knew that one song could attract so much attention, both positive and negative?
The controversy over "One Toke Over The Line" didn't generate any more hits for Brewer & Shipley. Separately, they collaborated with many superstars after they decided to split apart, including Stephen Stills, Bruce Springsteen, and (interestingly) Black Sabbath. They regrouped in 1989 for a one-off gig, and continue to write, record, and play live periodically. Michael Brewer lives outside of Branson, Missouri. Tom Shipley is the director of distance learning at Missouri University of Science & Technology in Rolla, Missouri.
Funny that in 1970, a duo that Richard Nixon's White House considered public enemies were choir boys according to Lawrence Welk. Here's proof from a rare clip from The Lawrence Welk Show......
Golden Hits Radio and GHR-2's Burning Question of the Day
What was Motown Records' first #1 hit?
Check back tomorrow @ Everything Oldies for the answer, and leave a comment here with your best guess!
Yesterday's Burning Question (and Answer) of the Day
According to the Recording Industry Association of America, who is the best selling duo of all time in the U.S.?
Answer: Hall and Oates
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