There's a reunion that is set for this Friday evening for those classes of the 60's, centered around the Class of 1964, with committee representatives from several other Classes. The location is the Marriott Hotel in Norwalk just off the I-5 freeway in the area by the Superior Court and the multiplex theaters (Norwalk Blvd. off ramp).
See the information in the Reunions sidebar for more details and tickets. It should be a good time for the 60's classes who can reflect back on all that time of protest, social unrest and the Vietnam War that colored the era, as well as put together their recollections of those times that have changed with Lincoln High's environment right there with the changes.
Now, for the old music part. Here's a bit of music history from L.A Radio.com, http://www.laradio.com/ from yesterday, going back to October 5, 1962:
"On the radio, we’re listening to Sherry, Monster Mash, Ramblin’ Rose, I Remember You, and Venus In Blue Jeans. On television, we’re watching Rawhide, Route 66, The Flintstones, 77 Sunset Strip, and Sing Along With Mitch."
"Sherry" was one of a string of popular songs from the Four Seasons, featuring Frankie Valli and that signature falsetto that gave you the huge clue as to the artist. The songs sounded so similar to each other but probably because of their style. All these songs were very recognizable. Some of Frankie Valli's later songs as a solo artist were "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," and "My Eyes Adored You," all in the same romantic ballad style, and those songs are old now, too. If you remember all those, then you have to be pretty old.
"Monster Mash" by the late Bobby Boris Pickett was a NEW song then, and you hear it every single year around Halloween- and it's that time again. Expect to see Elvira around, too.
"Ramblin Rose" was a hit for Nat King Cole- younger readers not familiar with the name might be more knowledgeable of the name, Natalie Cole, who is his daughter and a singer in her own right with a famous "Unforgettable" duet and video with her late father. A YouTube 1992 example of that is here,
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/yt-1GVKbhYrcGM/natalie_nat_king_cole_unforgettable_1992_the_unforgettable_concert/
That song, "I Remember You" was a country style song and and old one and I find Frank Ifield dong that one in 1962, with a clip from t.v.'s Midnight Special hosted by Andy Kaufman introducing Slim Whitman who sounds very close to the first version. But try the Diana Krall version on YouTube, in photo collage style, very updated and not much of a hint of country there anymore, but still it's close to the original oldie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP6-7cI5VRw&feature=related
"Venus in Blue Jeans," done by Jimmy Clanton (You don't remember this one? This might help: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X0zYBNe-1E&feature=related )
The sound was all in the pre-British Invasion style. It had a little more of an orchestral sound thrown in and there you have it. The time for this music happening was also overlapping the Doo-Wop period of popularity that was everywhere since you really didn't need instruments, just voices. I associated Nightingale Jr. High with most all of this music.
Jimmy Clanton might be remembered for another song from times, a little more upbeat than "Venus in Blue Jeans" and that was, "Go Jimmy Go." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wNe_NP0voY&feature=related All the videos here are collages of photos and album covers- notice the hair styles shown.
Hairstyles? Whenever I brought out old Lincolnian Yearbooks from "back in the day" at Lincoln (the 60's era) my students ALWAYS noticed the hair styles as being so "different" from "now," yet most students at the time tried to blend in with everyone else so you had "the style" established for students. Not for all, but most. There is a sort of goal for students, for high school students especially, to get through the day without being singled out for anything, or anything bad, at least. There's conformity always there to something, usually to each other.
And now, if you can remember those old t.v. shows named above you definitely are old- and these still were all done in black and white for black and white televisions and their sort of small screens and big cabinets, then the furniture style, too. I don't think there was even a choice for color t.v. sets available yet.
Now, the modern times bring us iPods and things to watch big movies on super tiny screens. That's progress.
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