"American Dreams" 1.07 - Hey, Mister (written in 1965) Tambourine (the show's in 1963) Man...
Boardwalk7
discovers racism among his own teammates, Sam grows a set, Jack questions a $16
purchase at the pharmacy, Roxanne discovers the wonders of autographed
memorabilia, and Meg has an argument over the merits of Bob Dylan with a clerk
at a record store. If you thought I blew my stack over the Jay and the
Americans episode, you ain't heard nothing yet....
All right, first the positives. In this episode, we saw Jack Pryor start to
unravel. He loses out on the Germantown hotel deal, and now he's stuck with 30
television sets. You can tell he's worried about supporting his family and his
employers, even to the point of trying to sell the TV sets to that hotel at a
discount. Yet even among all this, he still is willing to support his wife's
ambitions and studies (or maybe he'd just like his wife home one night a week
to cook dinner and take care of the kids, instead of making TV dinners and soup
‘n sandwiches), enough so that he brings home an extra typewriter from
Pryor's TV Repair for her to type her term paper on.
I hope this plays out more in future episodes, perhaps Jack gets approached by
another person to buy into the TV repair shop, perhaps he discovers a new
product that will help draw in more people to his store. We're still a couple
of years away from 8-track tapes, but there were four-track models available
for car installation...
The plotline with Sam at East Catholic took a rather surprising - and in my
opinion, intriguing - turn. Instead of the viewer thinking Sam is simply shy
and non-confrontational, you sense, in his confrontation with JJ over the
results of the horseplay in the locker room, that Sam has some underlying anger
over what his place in life has become, and what he feels he should be capable
of obtaining in the future. Is this an example of a future confrontation
between Sam and JJ, or possibly Sam eventually becoming a member of the Nation
of Islam? I know it's a long jump, but this show has made long jumps in
history before...
Well, it's nice to see Roxanne Bojarski going from autographed memorabilia to
fraud and forgery by the end of the episode. Somehow I get the feeling Meg's
best friend may find herself booted off American Bandstand before the show
moves to Los Angeles (whenever the hell THAT might be...), and that
confrontation with assistant producer Michael Brooks only foreshadows something
Roxanne might do in the future to get her booted off the show.
Which brings me to Meg and her adventures in the time-traveling record store.
Such an amazing record store, where Meg can hear the latest song by Dusty
Springfield six months BEFORE it gets released... and where Meg can have an
argument with the record store clerk over the merits of Bob Dylan's music. And
of course, the store clerk decides to have a debate with Meg over the song
lyrics of "Mr. Tambourine Man" versus the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back."
Now, if you've ever heard Steve Allen's classic comedy routine where he reads
- verbatim - with poetic pauses - the song lyrics of rock and roll lyrics, you
know how funny some lyrics are when they're taken away from the music and the
structure of the rest of the song. Yet although Meg doesn't like Bob Dylan's
music, she knows enough to quote from "Mr. Tambourine Man" TWO YEARS before the
song was ever written. AAARRGGGHH!!!
This scene would have worked much better if, instead of sliding a copy of "Mr.
Tambourine Man" into Meg's bag, the guy slipped a copy of "Blowin' In The Wind"
(which was released as a 45 in late 1963 and can be worth, in near-mint
condition, thousands of dollars today) in Meg's shopping bag. Or if they
discussed the merits of Dylan's album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan," which was
released in September of 1963. And by the way, where does Mister Hep Cat
record store clerk get off surruptitiously slipping records into peoples'
shopping bags?
As for the music... well, Marvin Gaye (as performed by Usher) fit the right
time frame, as his song "Can I Get A Witness" was released in October of 1963.
I was a little surprised to see the Orlons performing "Don't Hang Up" rather
than "South Street," which would have been released closer to the end of 1963
("Don't Hang Up" was released in December 1962), but at least it was another
Philadelphia act on the show, of which A(D)B has been lacking of late. And
next week we finally get Vito and the Salutations! Yippee!! We all get to
hear a doo-wop version of "Unchained Melody!!!!"
And although you can only glimpse the labels on the 45's in Roxanne's and
Meg's hands, as they stay in camera range for only a few seconds, here's some
small tips for all you eagle eyed viewers out there.
1. Marvin Gaye recorded for Tamla Records, a division of Motown. Tamla 45
labels are tan. Those records Roxanne gave Marvin Gaye to sign did not have
tan labels.
2. The Orlons recorded for Cameo Records. In 1963, Cameo pressings had a red
label with a black stripe down the left side. The records Roxanne gave the
Orlons were neither red nor had a black stripe. And the papers sleeves in
which the records were stored were not Cameo company sleeves (in fact, most of
Cameo's 45's had picture sleeves, so I'm surprised the Orlons didn't look up
and say "Hey, these aren't our records, where did you get them...").
3. In the 1960's, Bob Dylan recorded for Columbia Records. Their records had
red labels. They were not a frosted purple, as could be clearly seen on Meg's
phonograph. AND - the song "Mr. Tambourine Man" was never released by Columbia
or Bob Dylan as a 45 - and even if it was released, the song wasn't even
written until 1965 - appearing on the album "Bringing It All Back Home" (and
that was AFTER the Byrds released their version of "Mr. Tamourine Man" as a
single).
And what was that "if you missed the first 30 minutes of American Dreams"
promo doing in the middle of the show? Did a football game end in a sudden
death overtime tie this week or something? (Well... yeah... one did...)
But believe it or not, something bugged me more about AD this week than the
music.
At one point, one of the televisions on American Dreams showed a news clip
about the construction of two buildings in New York City that would be called
the "World Trade Center." Yes, New York City architects were designing a World
Trade Center complex at that time, and in 1962 an architect was hired to put
together a proposal for such a building complex. But according to
Architectural Record, a working model of what a World Trade Center might look
like wasn't designed until February 1964 (http://www.archrecord.com), and
groundbreaking on the construction project did not take place until 1966. What
reason in the world did they need to put this graphic into the episode? Most
times we don't hear about huge construction projects on the news until the
buildings are either built, or at least until groundbreaking has taken place.
And for this, I ask the writers of American Dreams - would you have used a
World Trade Center clip in your show if the towers were never attacked by
terrorists?
This may take a lot of calming down on my part... and hearing the strains of
the Yardbirds' "For Your Love" on next week's previous, six months before the
song was recorded, won't help much...
Chuck
Daniel
> Which brings me to Meg and her adventures in the time-traveling record store.
> Such an amazing record store, where Meg can hear the latest song by Dusty
> Springfield six months BEFORE it gets released... and where Meg can have an
> argument with the record store clerk over the merits of Bob Dylan's music. And
> of course, the store clerk decides to have a debate with Meg over the song
> lyrics of "Mr. Tambourine Man" versus the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back."
For the most part, I've given up being pissed off about this. They've
made a conscious decision to get the music wrong when it suits them.
And while, in a show that's this much ABOUT the music, that borders on
desecration, I've made up my mind not to care. Somehow, hearing
"Wishin' and Hopin'" bothered me more than "Mr. Tambourine Man," in
spite of the fact that there actually were some Bob Dylan songs they
could have used if they wanted a musically verisimilitudinous 1963.
When I read about Meg listening to Bob Dylan before the show came on,
I was certain they were talking about "Blowing in the Wind." (And
remember. This DOESN'T bother me.)
> Now, if you've ever heard Steve Allen's classic comedy routine where he reads
> - verbatim - with poetic pauses - the song lyrics of rock and roll lyrics, you
> know how funny some lyrics are when they're taken away from the music and the
> structure of the rest of the song. Yet although Meg doesn't like Bob Dylan's
> music, she knows enough to quote from "Mr. Tambourine Man" TWO YEARS before the
> song was ever written. AAARRGGGHH!!!
> This scene would have worked much better if, instead of sliding a copy of "Mr.
> Tambourine Man" into Meg's bag, the guy slipped a copy of "Blowin' In The Wind"
> (which was released as a 45 in late 1963 and can be worth, in near-mint
> condition, thousands of dollars today) in Meg's shopping bag. Or if they
> discussed the merits of Dylan's album "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan," which was
> released in September of 1963. And by the way, where does Mister Hep Cat
> record store clerk get off surruptitiously slipping records into peoples'
> shopping bags?
Oh. You remember that, too. Was BITW a single for Dylan? Or just for
Peter, Paul and Mary. I was thinking she was going to listen to
"Freewheeling." I remember that Dougie across the street got that for
Christmas, 1963.
> As for the music... well, Marvin Gaye (as performed by Usher) fit the right
> time frame, as his song "Can I Get A Witness" was released in October of 1963.
Yeah, that was perfect. But where was "Be My Baby"? Phil Spector
wouldn't let them be on the show or what?
> I was a little surprised to see the Orlons performing "Don't Hang Up" rather
> than "South Street," which would have been released closer to the end of 1963
> ("Don't Hang Up" was released in December 1962), but at least it was another
> Philadelphia act on the show, of which A(D)B has been lacking of late. And
> next week we finally get Vito and the Salutations! Yippee!! We all get to
> hear a doo-wop version of "Unchained Melody!!!!"
> And although you can only glimpse the labels on the 45's in Roxanne's and
> Meg's hands, as they stay in camera range for only a few seconds, here's some
> small tips for all you eagle eyed viewers out there.
> 1. Marvin Gaye recorded for Tamla Records, a division of Motown. Tamla 45
> labels are tan. Those records Roxanne gave Marvin Gaye to sign did not have
> tan labels.
Yeah. It would have been so hard to find a Tamla 45. Oh, please.
> 2. The Orlons recorded for Cameo Records. In 1963, Cameo pressings had a red
> label with a black stripe down the left side. The records Roxanne gave the
> Orlons were neither red nor had a black stripe. And the papers sleeves in
> which the records were stored were not Cameo company sleeves (in fact, most of
> Cameo's 45's had picture sleeves, so I'm surprised the Orlons didn't look up
> and say "Hey, these aren't our records, where did you get them...").
And again, yeah, what he said.
> 3. In the 1960's, Bob Dylan recorded for Columbia Records. Their records had
> red labels. They were not a frosted purple, as could be clearly seen on Meg's
> phonograph.
I remember having promos then that were white. And regular 45s on
Columbia that were yellow ("Donna the Prima Donna" was definitely
yellow). I think Columbia 45 labels came in a number of colors, but
you're right: that wasn't one of them we saw last night.
AND - the song "Mr. Tambourine Man" was never released by Columbia
> or Bob Dylan as a 45 - and even if it was released, the song wasn't even
> written until 1965 - appearing on the album "Bringing It All Back Home" (and
> that was AFTER the Byrds released their version of "Mr. Tamourine Man" as a
> single).
Maybe that's why they called it a promo. It would have to have been
*written* sometime before May 1965, as that's when the Byrds first
released it. Don't know if December '63 was too early or not.
> And what was that "if you missed the first 30 minutes of American Dreams"
> promo doing in the middle of the show? Did a football game end in a sudden
> death overtime tie this week or something? (Well... yeah... one did...)
> But believe it or not, something bugged me more about AD this week than the
> music.
> At one point, one of the televisions on American Dreams showed a news clip
> about the construction of two buildings in New York City that would be called
> the "World Trade Center." Yes, New York City architects were designing a World
> Trade Center complex at that time, and in 1962 an architect was hired to put
> together a proposal for such a building complex. But according to
> Architectural Record, a working model of what a World Trade Center might look
> like wasn't designed until February 1964 (http://www.archrecord.com), and
> groundbreaking on the construction project did not take place until 1966. What
> reason in the world did they need to put this graphic into the episode? Most
> times we don't hear about huge construction projects on the news until the
> buildings are either built, or at least until groundbreaking has taken place.
> And for this, I ask the writers of American Dreams - would you have used a
> World Trade Center clip in your show if the towers were never attacked by
> terrorists?
Yeah. I thought that was a bit gratuitous, too.
> This may take a lot of calming down on my part... and hearing the strains of
> the Yardbirds' "For Your Love" on next week's previous, six months before the
> song was recorded, won't help much...
>
> Chuck
And finally -- and this is the reason I stopped to write at all --
WHAT ABOUT THE BEATLES??? You can't have the Yardbirds before the
Beatles. Not in the American Northeast in early 1964.
Sandy McDermin
>
> board...@aol.com (Boardwalk7) wrote in message news:<20021110221915...@mb-cq.aol.com>...
>
> > Which brings me to Meg and her adventures in the time-traveling record store.
> > Such an amazing record store, where Meg can hear the latest song by Dusty
> > Springfield six months BEFORE it gets released... and where Meg can have an
> > argument with the record store clerk over the merits of Bob Dylan's music. And
> > of course, the store clerk decides to have a debate with Meg over the song
> > lyrics of "Mr. Tambourine Man" versus the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back."
>
> For the most part, I've given up being pissed off about this. They've
> made a conscious decision to get the music wrong when it suits them.
> And while, in a show that's this much ABOUT the music, that borders on
> desecration, I've made up my mind not to care. Somehow, hearing
> "Wishin' and Hopin'" bothered me more than "Mr. Tambourine Man," in
> spite of the fact that there actually were some Bob Dylan songs they
> could have used if they wanted a musically verisimilitudinous 1963.
> When I read about Meg listening to Bob Dylan before the show came on,
> I was certain they were talking about "Blowing in the Wind." (And
> remember. This DOESN'T bother me.)
That's too bad. I hate Dylan's whiney voice, but I love "Blowing in the
Wind." It's a wonderful song.
Well, in any event, maybe Meg will hook up with the music clerk, be
inspired by the music, become a hippie and end up being the
counter-culture contrast to her brother, who will go to Vietnam.
Sandy
Jason Wuthrich
news:e65d9590.02111...@posting.google.com...
> Oh. You remember that, too. Was BITW a single for Dylan? Or just for
Stevie Wonder covered it in 1966, but it was just him and PPM. (If Dylan
recorded it himself, it didn't make the Top 40.)
And as far the music being mismatched for the setting, remember, NBC's
target audience is the demo that can't tell Marvin Gaye from Ben Gay.
Zach Horan
>recorded it himself, it didn't make the Top 40.)
Dylan did record it himself, but it wasn't a Hot 100 single for him.
>Stevie Wonder covered it in 1966, but it was just him and PPM
Stevie did have the hit single off of it.
Jeffrey Varnado
can't feature it appealing at all to a Gen Y demographic; it should be
grabbing some Gen X and mostly Baby Boomers (both of whom should have
familiarity with the 60's)...the music is basically ambient background
for the period and that's why they aren't being sticklers for exact
release dates...the idea seems to be to portray the early to mid-60's
and hence the poetic license with the music...for this show to
effectively catch on and make it, though, they will have to speed things
up and move the tumult of the 60's along a little faster (i.e. riots,
Malcolm X, Vietnam, Martin Luther KIng and civil rights, etc.). So far
it's a fairy tale of American innocence with just the hint that
something is wrong ( the JFK assassination and the baby's preoccupation
with being zapped by killer satellites from the Russians or his remark,
"If Dad gets shot will we have to move?").
ShadZ
> clip
> about the construction of two buildings in New York City that would be called
> the "World Trade Center." Yes, New York City architects were designing a
> World
> Trade Center complex at that time, and in 1962 an architect was hired to put
> together a proposal for such a building complex. But according to
> Architectural Record, a working model of what a World Trade Center might look
> like wasn't designed until February 1964 (http://www.archrecord.com), and
> groundbreaking on the construction project did not take place until 1966.
> What
> reason in the world did they need to put this graphic into the episode? Most
> times we don't hear about huge construction projects on the news until the
> buildings are either built, or at least until groundbreaking has taken place.
> And for this, I ask the writers of American Dreams - would you have used a
> World Trade Center clip in your show if the towers were never attacked by
> terrorists?
The area where the World Trade Center was built used to be "Radio Row",
where many of NYC's electronics stores were. The father on the show
owns a electronics (TV) store (in Philladelphia, not NYC). There may
be some connection coming up, although I don't know what it might
be -- maybe a NYC TV store, ousted by WTC construction, moves to
Phillidelphia and provides some competition?
ShadZ
Boardwalk7
>where many of NYC's electronics stores were. The father on the show
>owns a electronics (TV) store (in Philladelphia, not NYC). There may
>be some connection coming up, although I don't know what it might
>be -- maybe a NYC TV store, ousted by WTC construction, moves to
>Phillidelphia and provides some competition?
>
>ShadZ
>
course, I wonder why a successful electronics store would have to move to
Philadelphia instead of upper Manhattan or the Bronx, but hey if it gives AD a
new and interesting plotline, I'm willing to accept it.
Chuck
Linda M. Young
me. I do want to know what kind of Catholic school this is
that lets Roxanne mouth off like that in class and to a
Sister to boot! In 1963 nuns didn't take that kind of lip off
anyone. Where was Sister whatshername's ruler to whack
Roxanne's knuckles?
Linda
marlene steinberg
"Linda M. Young" <jly...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:2c6b235c.0211...@posting.google.com...
That's called dramatic license. Being in my 40's i remember that era
although i was younger then the two older kids. I grew up in West Phila use
to come home from school and watch Bandstand with my friends. Remember West
Catholic and the football games. I can really relate to that show.
Marlene
Corwin2
Same reason you didn't have the coach whacking the players in the
movie Remember the Titans, set in the 1970's. Sensibilities have
changed.
Someone also noted it was unlikely Roxanne and Meg wouldn't have
gone into a bathroom to changed clothing rather than putting their bras, etc.
on public display. But it's tame compared to today's
bikinis or ever present lingerie ads.
I'm not sure when public school integration took place in Philadelphia.
My school county was never integrated by court order, but they had
avoided deliberate segregation for years and may have had some
deliberate integration. An adjacent county had busing starting in the
1970's. I also remember Boston getting busing during the 1970's as
well. Anybody know when Notre Dame and other various colleges started
integration? Would a Catholic private school in 1963 Philadelphia have
been integrated?
(J)
Jorabi
"Boardwalk7" wrote ...
>
> At one point, one of the televisions on American Dreams showed a news clip
> about the construction of two buildings in New York City that would be called
> the "World Trade Center." Yes, New York City architects were designing a World
> Trade Center complex at that time, and in 1962 an architect was hired to put
> together a proposal for such a building complex. But according to
> Architectural Record, a working model of what a World Trade Center might look
> like wasn't designed until February 1964 (http://www.archrecord.com), and
> groundbreaking on the construction project did not take place until 1966. What
> reason in the world did they need to put this graphic into the episode? Most
> times we don't hear about huge construction projects on the news until the
> buildings are either built, or at least until groundbreaking has taken place.
> And for this, I ask the writers of American Dreams - would you have used a
> World Trade Center clip in your show if the towers were never attacked by
> terrorists?
You're being ridiculous here. A project of the WTC's size would have been
talked about for years prior to groundbreaking, and an artist's crude
rendition would definitely NOT be out of place on the news. The same sort
of thing happens today all the time. If the architect began his proposal
in 1962, late 1963 is about right for concept drawings.
Though I grant you that this never would have shown up on AD if the
towers were still standing.
Don Weinman
>although i was younger then the two older kids. I grew up in West Phila use
>to come home from school and watch Bandstand with my friends. Remember West
>Catholic and the football games. I can really relate to that show.
Indeed. I had a friend from Philly who talked about those years the
same way.
Great show, this is!
---
Don Weinman
marlene steinberg
"Don Weinman" <d...@weinman.com> wrote in message
news:svb7tuc5s8uqs4amm...@4ax.com...
I was just reading in today's Phila Enquirer that the actor (can't remember
his name) that plays the dad is from Phila. He said that he had some Phila
food flown in for the cast when they found out that the show was picked up.
They had Phila cheese steaks, tastycakes, soft pretzels, and other Phila
treats.
Marlene