Pop Culture Roundup: The Archies! Doctor Who! House of the Dragon! More!


ITEM!
The Archies meet Don Kirschner, 1968. 

ITEM! Matt Smith is up for returning as Doctor Who.

ITEM! "House of the Dragon," the "Game of Thrones" prequel series, debuts Aug. 21 on HBO Max.

ITEM! Ron Howard is producing a Jim Henson documentary.

ITEM! Eddie Murphy is set to play P-Funk pioneer George Clinton in a new bio pic.

Watch a Teaser for "It's The Small Things, Charlie Brown" - New Special Coming to Apple TV+

See a Trailer for "Vinyl Nation" - a Documentary About the Return of Records

The vinyl record renaissance over the past decade has brought new fans to a classic format and transformed our idea of a record collector: younger, both male and female, multicultural. This same revival has made buying music more expensive, benefited established bands over independent artists and muddled the question of whether vinyl actually sounds better than other formats. Vinyl Nation digs into the crates of the record resurgence in search of truths set in deep wax: Has the return of vinyl made music fandom more inclusive or divided? What does vinyl say about our past here in the present? How has the second life of vinyl changed how we hear music and how we listen to each other? The documentary features Judy Mills, Ashley C. Ford, Kelly Stacy, John Vanderslice, Kutmasta Kurt, Alyson Baker, Kelley Stoltz, Ben Blackwell, Billy Fields, Roz Lee, and Ashleyanne Krigbaum.

Pop Pics: Ed Makes a Point

 


BBC Celebrates Rolling Stones' 60th with Multiple TV and Radio Specials


From the Beeb:

This Summer, the BBC will celebrate 60 glorious years of The Rolling Stones with a star-studded season of programming across television, radio and digital platforms.

The centrepiece is a world-exclusive four-part series of films, My Life as a Rolling Stone, to premiere on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this summer, produced by Mercury Studios.

It tells the story of one of the world’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands in a way that has never been done before - by viewing the band through the musical lens of each member, delving deep into their personalities, passions and memories from the past 60 years. Four hour-long films, each an intimate portrait of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts, show how these individual musical geniuses came together to make the music that has provided the soundtrack to the lives of millions.

The films feature unrivalled access to and newly-filmed interviews with the band members, and from a stellar cast of artists who’ve loved and been inspired by the band, including P.P. Arnold, Chrissie Hynde, Slash, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner and Steven Tyler.

The landmark series, produced by Mercury Studios for the BBC, will include unseen footage and exclusive stories from Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood interwoven with new and archive interviews and performance. The story of Charlie Watts, who sadly passed away in August 2021, will be told via tributes from his fellow band members and his musical peers and admirers along with archive interviews of Charlie.

The Rolling Stones created the blueprint for every budding rock band. They have overcome tragedy and controversy to record some of the most instantly recognisable and beloved songs. They have embraced the full spectrum of popular music from gritty blues to heartrending ballads, from pure pop to hard-edged rock selling millions of records along the way. Since their live debut on 12 July 1962 at London’s Marquee Club, the Stones made stadiums and arenas their home with spectacular global tours over the last six decades.

The series, which will be broadcast on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer this summer, is directed by award-winning filmmakers, Oliver Murray (Bill Wyman, The Quiet One) and Clare Tavernor (Keith Richards: A Culture Show Special). Mercury Studios will distribute the films internationally.

Joyce Smyth, manager, The Rolling Stones, says: “We are thrilled to celebrate 60 years of The Rolling Stones with these four films which give fans around the world a new and fascinating look at the band.”

Lorna Clarke, Controller, BBC Pop, says: “What better year for the BBC, in its centenary year, to pay tribute to and celebrate one of the world’s most significant rock groups, in their 60th anniversary year. The Rolling Stones have been ambassadors for great British rock ‘n’ roll for decades and are loved the world over, so I’m thrilled that the BBC is able to present this very special season of programming, including the world-exclusive TV series, to our audiences.”

Mercury Studios CEO, Alice Webb, says: “Every now and again, as filmmakers we get to work on extraordinary projects – this is one of those moments. We know their music, their swagger, their unrivalled stage presence – and through these beautiful, intimate films you’ll see the band in all their glory as we explore what makes them truly great. It’s been an honour to work with The Rolling Stones to shine a light on their incredible lives and careers – we can’t wait for audiences around the world to see them.”

Each of the four episodes will put one of the Stones in the spotlight, featuring their own personal take on the band, with added contributions about them from each of the other Stones and a cast of incredible contributors.

The four films are:

Mick Jagger

Mick’s creative and commercial vision has been instrumental to The Rolling Stones’ success. He’s steered the band to incredible musical heights, striving to keep them unified through difficulties such fallouts, changing fashions and attitudes. Jagger’s continued fame at the heart of rock and roll is without parallel, and with fellow ‘Glimmer Twin’ Keith Richards he has written and produced many of the greatest rock anthems of all time. How on earth does he do it?

Keith Richards

This is a film about how important his unbridled passion has been to The Rolling Stones, and how the sheer power of playing live keeps them on the road. Keith’s uncompromising passion for the music he loves has driven the band to experiment with varying sounds and genres. And how important has his image of transgression and rebellion been to the legend of the Stones? 

Ronnie Wood


Nobody represents fun - and what happens when it isn’t anymore - more than the irrepressible Ronnie Wood. As the godfather of a very British sound and style, he was the one who helped the band regain their mojo through hard times when they needed it most. But, looking back, did the excesses go too far?


Charlie Watts


Watts was a true musician to the core with a lifetime love of jazz, often cited by Mick and Keith as the rock and the glue that held the Stones together. For six decades he was the quiet force and swinging backbeat of the Stones and the least showy drummer in rock history. How did Charlie maintain his reputation as “the drummer’s drummer”, the unruffled mainstay and linchpin of the band, oblivious to the temptations of fame, but crucial to the band’s success?

BBC iPlayer Collection

In addition to the four-part BBC Two series, a curated collection of landmark concerts and documentaries will be available on BBC iPlayer this summer, including:

Crossfire Hurricane (2012)

Crossfire Hurricane provided a remarkable new perspective on the Stones’ unparalleled journey from blues-obsessed teenager in the early 60s to rock royalty. The film combines extensive historical footage, much of it widely unseen at the time, with contemporary commentaries by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood and former Stones, Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor.

The Rolling Stones: Totally Stripped (original version 1995, re-versioned edition 2016)

This film is a newly revised version of the documentary that was originally made to coincide with the release of the Stones’ Stripped album, released in November 1995, telling the story of two studio sessions and three live shows that made up the Stripped project. The film follows the triumphant end of the Voodoo Lounge tour which found the band reimagining tracks from their back catalogue as acoustic, pared back versions, as well as cover versions.

BBC Radio 2

Along with the documentary films, the season will also include a world exclusive two-hour audio documentary, Rolling with The Stones, on BBC Radio 2, the UK’s most listened to radio station with 14.9m weekly listeners. This global audio premiere will air this summer.

Rolling With The Stones

Six decades ago, when Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Brian Jones and the late Charlie Watts played together for the first time in a scruffy pub in London’s Soho, a global phenomenon was born. Sixty years later, this incredible rock’n’ roll band are still riding every musical wave and bucking every musical trend by the simple expedient of being themselves.

Drawn from hours of unheard interviews from the band’s own archives, alongside rarely heard music and performances, Rolling with The Stones offers the ultimate presentation of one of the defining stories of the last hundred years, told intimately and revealingly by the people who wrote it. Listeners will hear directly from Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards alongside the memories of Bill Wyman and Mick Taylor and the verité archive of the late Brian Jones. There will be tributes from the bandmates to the much missed Charlie Watts who died last year, as well as from Charlie himself.

It's the story of one world’s greatest rock bands, but more than that, it’s the story of popular culture over the last 60 years in all its magnificent glory. There’s never been a band like The Rolling Stones, there’ll never be another, and Rolling with The Stones explains why.

Rolling With The Stones will be broadcast on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, with a complementary series - Rolling With The Stones Raw - available exclusively on BBC Sounds.

Comic Book Art: Original Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott Art From Fantastic Four #81

Pop Culture Roundup: Scarlet Witch! Sex Pistols! Roxy Music! More!


ITEM!
Disney is now selling Scarlet Witch mouse ears in its theme parks.

ITEM! Speaking of Disney princesses, Danny Boyle's Sex Pistols bio-doc mini-series is coming to Disney+ in May.

ITEM! Roxy Music is reuniting for a 50th anniversary tour.

ITEM! Critic/musician Bob Stanley talks about his upcoming book, "Let’s Do It: The Birth of Pop." His previous tome, "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!: The Story of Pop Music from Bill Haley to Beyoncé," is one of the best books on music that I've read.

Pop Pic: Dino, Desi and Billy!

 


New Comics Collected Editions March 30: Conan Epic Collection! Batman Dark Knight Detective!

Our pick this week. Click the links to order from Amazon.

Conan and Bêlit reave a path across the high seas and into the jungles of the Hyborian Age in another set of classic tales! Together, the barbarian and the pirate queen encounter the Lord of the Lions and battle for the honored name of Amra in one of the greatest Conan adventures of all time! 
    Master storytellers Roy Thomas and John Buscema follow with an exploit that brings Conan, Kull and Red Sonja together in a tale of titans that pits Robert E. Howard's greatest creations against one another!   
    Also featuring full-color editions of black-and-white Conan stories by Jim Starlin and John Buscema, an adaptation of the very first Conan story and the rare "Crawler in the Mists"! 
    Collecting CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1970) #60-71, CONAN ANNUAL #2-3 and POWER RECORDS #31 - CONAN THE BARBARIAN: CRAWLER IN THE MISTS.

Follow Batman as he investigates a bombing with the GCPD—as Batman is investing one lead in the business owner, another unrelated bombing happens. The bomber is destroying for the sake of destruction…this is the introduction of the Destroyer! Batman will have to face off against more than just the Destroyer though! In this collection featuring appearances from the Joker, Two Face, and more—Gotham’s need for Batman is far from over! 
    Batman: The Dark Knight Detective Vol. 7 collects adventures from Batman #474, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #27, Detective Comics #634-638, Detective Comics #641, Detective Comics #643, and Detective Comics Annual #4.

Pop Pic: Kung Fu!

 


Coming Up: "You Showed Me - The Songs Of Gene Clark" From Ace Records


Out April 1. Available for pre-order now from Amazon or Import CDs

Details:

Gene Clark was one of the last century’s most gifted songwriters. These eclectic interpretations of songs drawn from his time with the Byrds through to his solo masterpiece “No Other” provide the irrefutable proof.

Quite incredibly, it’s only in more recent years that Gene has risen above cult status to be hailed as one of the last century’s greatest voices, charismatic performers and supernaturally talented songwriters. That could easily be down to the complex mass of paradoxes and human weaknesses that battled inside him. As Byrds biographer Johnny Rogan put it, “For every celebrated moment of his musical life, there were comparable moments of opportunities lost and projects abandoned or unrealised.”

From his earliest composing attempts, there was always more to Gene’s songs than his contemporaries’: deceptively complex arrangements, unusual melodic turns and subtly woven twists carrying a secret, deeper resonance that reached its cosmic apogee on 1974’s “No Other”. He blazed trails for folk-rock, psychedelic/baroque pop and was first to pioneer alternative country and Americana. That he was also a masterful songwriter is why we’re here today, celebrating just some of these masterclasses in translating universal emotions or extraordinary observations into living, breathing music: like early champion Dylan, timeless flights asking to be boarded by other artists.

As with our recent collections spotlighting the songs of Leon Russell and Lou Reed, this latest release in our Songwriters series is compiled by Mick Patrick and packaged with a bumper booklet featuring copious notes by Kris Needs.

Track list:

  1. You Showed Me - Echo in the Canyon
  2. With Jakob Dylan & Cat Power
  3. Feel a Whole Lot Better - Juice Newton
  4. I Knew I'd Want You - Thin White Rope
  5. She Don't Care About Time - Flamin' Groovies
  6. Eight Miles High - Roxy Music
  7. Till Today - the Rose Garden
  8. Echoes - Starry Eyed & Laughing
  9. Elevator Operator - Velvet Crush
  10. I Found You - the Thyme
  11. So You Say You Lost Your Baby -
  12. Death in Vegas Featuring Paul Weller
  13. Tried So Hard - the Flying Burrito Bros
  14. In the Plan - New Grass Revival
  15. Train Leaves Here This Morning - Kai Clark
  16. He Darked the Sun - Linda Ronstadt
  17. Kansas City Southern - Pure Prairie League
  18. Polly - Iain Matthews
  19. Why Not Your Baby - the Mother Hips
  20. Full Circle - Byrds
  21. Silver Raven - the Baird Sisters
  22. Some Misunderstanding - Soulsavers Featuring Mark Lanegan
  23. Strength of Strings - This Mortal Coil

Watch Pete Townshend on Granada Television, March 28, 1972

Pop Pic: Not Marvel's Avengers

 


Coming Up: John Barry "The More Things Change - Film, TV & Studio Work 1968-1973"


Out April 1 from Ace Records. Available for pre-order now from Amazon or Import CDs.

Details: 

In the late 1960s and early 70s, John Barry was at his creative peak, writing both his greatest Bond music for On Her Majesty's Secret Service and the score for the Oscar-winning Midnight Cowboy within a few months of each other. 

As one decade melted into the next, Barry would provide a host of haunting, highly atmospheric scores: The Appointment, Deadfall, Mary Queen Of Scots, Follow Follow, with possibly his finest ever saved for Nicolas Roeg's masterpiece Walkabout. 

He also found time to write the deathless theme for TV series The Persuaders. 

"The More Things Change" collects Barry's finest work from this period, including the majority of 1970's classic "Ready When You Are, J. B. " album, released on CD for the very first time. 

In addition, it collects loose ends from the period (including selections from 1968's lost Richard Lester classic Petulia), then follows Barry into the early 70s. 

It has been compiled by music writer and John Barry superfan Bob Stanley, with extensive sleeve notes and a gorgeous selection of ephemera. 2022 will also see the publication of "Music By John Barry", a 500-page book covering his greatest scores, and a season of Barry-scored films at London's BFI Southbank.

Track list:

  1. Midnight Cowboy
  2. We Have All the Time in the World
  3. Theme from 'Romance for
  4. Guitar and Orchestra'
  5. Who Will Buy My Yesterdays
  6. Fun City
  7. The Lion in Winter
  8. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
  9. Theme from 'The Appointment'
  10. Try
  11. The More Things Change
  12. Afternoon
  13. A Little Old-Fashioned Nostalgia
  14. Theme from 'The Persuaders'
  15. Main Title - Petulia
  16. Theme from 'Walkabout'
  17. Follow Follow
  18. Diamonds Are Forever (Single Version)
  19. Highway 101
  20. The Adventurer
  21. This Way Mary
  22. The Children
  23. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Suite

New on Video: "The Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm" Deluxe Edition


Order now from Amazon.

Details:

The story behind the brothers who created beloved fairy tales come to life, with reenactments of three of their stories. 

The film tells the story of the brothers' long struggle for recognition and the sacrifices they and their families made to achieve their goals. 

Between dreamer Wilhelm (Laurence Harvey) and practical Jacob (Karl Boehm), some marvelous fairy tales develop. 

In "The Dancing Princess," a princess (Yvette Mimieux) falls in love with a charming woodsman (Russ Tamblyn). In "The Cobbler and the Elves," a Christmas miracle of dedicated labor helps the cobbler out when he most needs it. And in the last story, a fire-breathing dragon threatens the kingdom until a lowly servant (Buddy Hackett) saves the day. 

Shot on location in West Germany, the innovative production features Puppetoons, a technique developed by Oscar-winning special effects expert George Pal. Meticulously restored from its original Cinerama negatives, this fanciful delight is a treat for audiences of all ages.....and this Deluxe Two Disc Edition gives the viewer the opportunity to watch the film either in a traditional letterbox format, or in the Smilebox format which attempts to re-create the immersive Cinerama experience with a simulated curve to the screen. Both versions bring together the three original Cinerama panels with virtually no trace of the lines that joined them together when originally projected in theaters back in 1962.

SPECIAL FEATURES: New featurettes RESCUING A FANTASY CLASSIC (HD); THE EPIC ART OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM (HD); THE WONDERFUL CAREER OF GEORGE PAL (HD), and more, plus multiple trailers and audio pieces

 

Best New Comic Book Covers of the Week - March 30

In shops Wednesday.

Pop Artifacts: Batman Full-Color Transfer from 1944

Watch Led Zeppelin in Amsterdam, March 27, 1972

Watch Badfinger perform "Baby Blue," 1972

Pop Pic: Annette

 


Coming Up: "Dusty (Springfield) Sings Soul" from Ace Records


Out April 1. Available for pre-order now from Amazon, or Import CDs.

Details:

From the very start of her solo career, it was Dusty Springfield’s intention to make records in the style of the black American artists that she admired, both professionally and personally. She recorded her version of a soul song at her first solo session and was still recording soul songs on all of her albums, singles and EPs throughout the 60s and into the 70s.

“Dusty Sings Soul” is a long overdue and carefully curated collection of recordings from Dusty’s 60s singles and albums, designed to demonstrate that she was not only the UK’s finest female singer but also its finest soul singer of her era and, for many, of all time. There is no shortage of Dusty compilations out there, but this is the first one to exclusively concentrate on this particular side of this great artist’s work.

These are not ‘covers’, in that Dusty never directly covered any record until the original had run its course. Dusty simply recorded songs that she loved herself, and that she hoped her fans would love. Dusty was a big fan of many of the artists whose songs she recorded, and helped to raise their profile in the UK through her interpretations of their work.

For soul fans who love Dusty but who only want to hear her singing soul, rather than the show tunes and/or pop ballads that she was equally at home with, this will be every bit as essential as her “Dusty In Memphis” album and the records she made in Philadelphia at the very end of the 60s with Gamble & Huff.

The booklet is generously illustrated and copiously annotated.

Track list: 

  1. Can I Get A Witness
  2. Long After Tonight Is All Over
  3. Won't Be Long
  4. Bring Him Back
  5. All Cried Out
  6. Take Another Little Piece Of My Heart
  7. Do Re Mi
  8. Welcome Home
  9. Some Of Your Lovin'
  10. That's How Heartaches Are Made
  11. It Was Easier To Hurt Him
  12. Ain't No Sun Since You've Been Gone
  13. I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself
  14. Every Ounce Of Strength
  15. I Wanna Make You Happy
  16. Nothing
  17. Oh No Not My Baby
  18. I Had A Talk With My Man
  19. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face
  20. Every Day I Have To Cry
  21. Love Power
  22. Don't Let Me Lose This Dream
  23. Am I The Same Girl
  24. What's It Gonna Be 

 

Watch Gladys Knight sing "Help Me Make It Through the Night," 1972

Pop Pic: Who is Alex Trebek?

 


Coming Up: John Coltrane "My Favorite Things" 60th Anniversary Deluxe Edition from Rhino Records


Out May 20 and available for pre-order now from Amazon.

Details: 

Released in March 1961, MY FAVORITE THINGS was the first album to feature John Coltrane playing soprano saxophone in addition to his regular tenor. His soprano takes the lead on two of the album’s four songs, including his unforgettable rendition of the title track, Rodgers and Hammerstein wrote for The Sound of Music musical.

An edited version of the 14-minute original was a radio hit that spring. The song’s success helped introduce Coltrane to a broader audience, while the album went on to inspire future generations of fans. In recognition of the album’s lasting artistic and historical significance, My Favorite Things was inducted into the Grammy(R) Hall of Fame in 1998 and certified gold in 2018.

Rhino will celebrate the 60th anniversary of My Favorite Things with Deluxe Editions on vinyl and CD. Each version features new stereo and mono mixes remastered from the original tapes. The mono mix, once believed lost, was rediscovered recently and is included here. MY FAVORITE THINGS: 60th ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION will be available on May 20 as a 180-gram double-LP set and as a double-CD set.

The LPs come packaged in a replica of the original record sleeve with a booklet that features rare photos, ephemera from the period, and new liner notes written by acclaimed music journalist/author Ben Ratliff.

In the notes, Ratliff offers his take on “My Favorite Things”: “For a record that so many people listened to, the LP version of ‘My Favorite Things’ travels impressively far; it demonstrably goes somewhere. It also remains ambivalent through its juxtaposition of E major and E minor. It spins you around; it gives you enough of the pleasant impression, sometimes, that you don’t know where you are or what song you’re in. It is a remarkable cross of extremism and tact.”

Coltrane was introduced to the soprano saxophone in late 1959 and soon after started playing it in addition to his regular tenor sax. His first recorded performances on the instrument are included on My Favorite Things. He recorded the music in October 1960 with the first version of the John Coltrane Quartet, which included McCoy Tyner (piano), Steve Davis (double bass), and Elvin Jones (drums). Shortly before the sessions began, Coltrane discussed the soprano sax with Down Beat magazine: “I’ve had to adopt a slightly different approach than the one I use for tenor, but it helps me get away—lets me take another look at improvisation. It’s like having another hand.”

A year after My Favorite Things came out, John Coltrane spoke to Jazz Hot magazine about the album. He said: “‘My Favorite Things’ is my favorite piece of everything we’ve recorded. I don’t think I’d like to redo it in any other way, although all the other records I’ve done could be improved by a few details. This waltz is fantastic: when you play it slowly, it has a ‘gospel’ aspect, which is not at all unpleasant; when you play it fast, it has certain other undeniable qualities. It’s very interesting to discover a terrain that renews itself according to the impulse that you give it; that’s the reason why we don’t always play this tune in the same tempo.”

Hot Trax '72: Badfinger! Gladys Knight and the Pips! Three Dog Night! More!

New songs on the charts 50 years ago this week.

Badfinger - Baby Blue

Gladys Knight and the Pips - Help Me Make it Through the Night

Three Dog Night - The Family of Man

Carly Simon - Legend in Your Own Time

Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen - Hot Rod Lincoln

Millie Jackson - Ask Me What You Want

Paul Anka - Jubilation