When America Turned 200: The Soundtrack of a Nation

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Step into a time machine to 1976, when America celebrated its bicentennial, bell-bottoms were wide, and the musical landscape was experiencing a revolution unlike any other. This vibrant year saw rock music expanding to fill stadiums while punk kicked down the establishment's door and disco seduced reluctant dancers across the country.

Mike and Tom share their personal connections to this transformative year with palpable enthusiasm, exploring how Boston's groundbreaking debut album, Queen's operatic masterpiece "Bohemian Rhapsody," and the Eagles' mysterious "Hotel California" created the soundtrack to their formative years. Their genuine excitement bubbles over as they recall discovering Kiss at age 9-13, marveling at Steven Tyler's vocal range on "Dream On," and forming air bands with friends to perform Bay City Rollers hits.

Beyond music, the hosts paint a vivid picture of 1976 America – a nation draped in patriotic red, white, and blue everything (including toilet paper!), where CB radios connected truckers and civilians alike, and innovations like Apple Computer were quietly changing the world. The conversation weaves through cultural touchstones from Rocky to Charlie's Angels, creating a rich tapestry of nostalgia.

The hosts don't just catalog songs; they reveal how these tracks became intertwined with their personal experiences, from first crushes to childhood dreams of rock stardom. Tom's confession about using country music and Dr. Hook to get through lonely summers on the farm stands alongside Mike's memories of cutting guitar shapes from wood – authentic moments that show how deeply music shapes our identities.

Ready to rediscover the year when Queen, the Ramones, and Donna Summer somehow shared the same cultural moment? Join us for this joyful deep dive into the music that defined 1976 and the people who loved it. Leave a message on our website at mtalpod.com – we'd love to hear your musical memories!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Ah, yes 1976, america turned 200, people were still
roller skating with actualenthusiasm and your dad was
probably rocking a moustachethat could shelter a small

(00:25):
family of birds.
Gas was cheap, bell-bottomswere wide and somehow, somehow,
everyone was either listening toQueen, the Bee Gees or the
Ramones, possibly all at once.
It was the year rock wentstadium size, punk kicked the
door in and screamed and discosnuck in the back room with a

(00:47):
glitter ball and a polyestersuit whispering you will dance
even if you hate yourself for it.
Meanwhile, boston released oneof the best-selling debut albums
of all time, stevie Wonderdropped a masterpiece and people
actually bought a single calledDisco Duck on purpose.
So today, mike and Tom aredigging into the glorious

(01:10):
chaotic mixtape.
That was 1976, when FM radioruled, record stores smelled
like vinyl and incense andnobody knew what a TikTok was,
because people actually talked.
So turn up the dial, polishyour platform shoes and get
ready to argue about whetherHotel California is genius or

(01:30):
just six minutes of rich guyproblems.

Speaker 3 (01:33):
It's 1976, and this is the MT Alternative Podcast
all right, guys, before we startthis uh podcast, tom and I

(01:54):
would like to make a couplecorrections.
I myself don't know why I keptsaying I was 13 years old last
time, when I was 12 you're in ahurry to grow up.
I guess I was, but just wantedto say that 1975, Mike was only
12.
Yep, so I just wanted that in.
I repeated I was 13 many times.
Hey, drugs are a strange thing,man.

(02:16):
Tom, you wanted to make acorrection A little more serious
note than mine.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
I did.
The best friend I was talkingabout the last time it was uh, I
said, was killed in a caraccident, and I don't know why.
I said that because and hewasn't killed in a car accident,
he was killed uh ground tryingto save a bunch of kids, uh as a

(02:41):
police officer okay, okay, yeah.
That was it.
There's a big difference here,yeah, big difference and we just
do a lot of different thingsduring our podcast.
That cause us to do some things, but Me forgetting my age.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
What year?
But anyways, folks.
Well, back to our regularpodcast.
Yes, sir, welcome back to theMT Alternative Podcast.
Tom, what the hell's going on?

Speaker 4 (03:03):
bud.
Not much, Mike.
I'm excited about being heretoday.

Speaker 3 (03:08):
It's 1976, my friend, it is.
Wait a minute, you missed somewhat happened.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
Did I take the brown acid?
I believe you did.
They told us not to.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Yeah, well, you.

Speaker 4 (03:24):
Well, it was too late .

Speaker 3 (03:25):
You were warned.

Speaker 4 (03:26):
Yeah, that's right, I ate them before I ever paid for
them.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
That's all right, Sorry guy.
As Cheech and Chon once said,or Tommy Chon once hope you're
not busy for about a month, man,You'll be fine.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
So anyways, here we are again, bud Yep 1976, bicent
bud Yep 1976.
Bicentennial year.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Bicentennial year 200th birthday of this great
nation of ours.
Hell yeah, america, america,america.

Speaker 4 (03:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Right, good, great freaking music, tom.
I'm going to be honest thispretty much.
I loved all the music we'vedone up to this.
Right.
A lot of memories, differentkind of memories but, as we were
speaking earlier, 76 toprobably 82, 83, pretty much the
soundtrack of my youth.
Those songs, these songs have alot of memories, especially

(04:14):
this year with you have tounderstand our.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
our mental capacity grows as we do and the music
that we're around just moldsinto us, and that makes us who
we are.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
That's what music is all about.

Speaker 4 (04:32):
Like I said before, music is a universal language.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
Absolutely Tom.

Speaker 4 (04:36):
So I mean, everybody knows music.

Speaker 3 (04:38):
Everybody loves music .
Everybody loves music.
Even if you have somebody orknow somebody you don't really
like, I guarantee you'llcompromise on a song.

Speaker 4 (04:47):
Or hear me out, if you've ever been watching Les
Stroud, the guy that doesSurvivorman.
He goes to these far offcountries in the jungles Okay
Well, they don't even knowEnglish, they don't know
anything.
But what do they do At thenight?
They light a big fire, right,music, music, it's all music.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
All about music.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
Yeah, even people who are away from our culture know
about music.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
Music.
It's a universal language.

Speaker 4 (05:19):
Yeah, see, see, that's what I told you.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Well, first of all work.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
And see, but I do want to uh.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
Well, first of all work.
And yeah, you were.

Speaker 4 (05:29):
I was trying to stay away from that, but okay you
were a little sick this week.

Speaker 3 (05:30):
Yeah, and I came up with a name when you left softy,
that darren seems to likedarren.
Oh my goodness so darren softywhen I told him that can I call
him, that I go, I wouldn't.
And then I said go ahead andcall him.
And he did, he shouted it outto you.
He shouted it right out at me,didn't he?

Speaker 4 (05:52):
You got to admit that was funny.
That was kind of funny Comingfrom Darren.

Speaker 3 (05:57):
I couldn't resist.
Yeah, we're not going to talkabout anything else at work.
Was it that bad?
You were a little worn out.
It was a little hot.

Speaker 4 (06:05):
Well, Monday and Tuesday, you know, this week I
pulled probably more boxes thanI've ever pulled before they had
.
There were so many differenttrucks sitting on the floor,
Were you a little worn out, Iwas a little worn out.

Speaker 3 (06:24):
Is that an understatement?

Speaker 4 (06:25):
Yeah, but I made it through.
I pecked away.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
Yeah, the boxes do suck.

Speaker 4 (06:31):
Well, I like them better rolls.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yes, it's easier to dig those boxes out.
Sure it is.
I need that roll on the bottomthere under these rolls that
weigh 100 pounds.

Speaker 4 (06:44):
Yeah, oh boy, anyway, yeah.

Speaker 3 (06:47):
But back to our podcast.
Hey, the music Bicentennial.
I do want to talk about thebicentennial, Of course.
What do you remember about it?
We had on July 4th weekend 1976, I was at my uncle and aunt's
camp.
They were at Cedar Lake inSturbridge, Mass Right, and I

(07:09):
remember being there and a bunchof I hate to say it me and my
friend Tim floating around in alittle rubber wrap we had bought
.
Right yeah, my cousin in abikini.
I know that sounds weird.
But hey, I was what 13 years oldpeople Give me a break?
How?

Speaker 4 (07:25):
old was he who, your cousin she, oh, oh, oh.

Speaker 3 (07:32):
The bikini.
This isn't 2025.
I'm talking about.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
This is the normal days.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
Oh yeah, back in the 70s.
I think about it now and I'mlike what the hell was I doing?
Looking at my damn cousin.

Speaker 4 (07:42):
Well, I know what you were doing, because I was doing
the same thing.
Pretty sad.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
But anyways, I remember the birthday parties
it's the only people we knewbeing 13 and the music that came
out.
There was a lot of events.
Everything was red, white, blue, marketing at the time.
Oh man See, why can't we havethat?

Speaker 4 (08:05):
pride again, commodory.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
I don't get it.
Is that what it?

Speaker 4 (08:09):
said Commodory.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
Commodory, commodory.

Speaker 4 (08:12):
Now you got me saying it wrong, yeah.

Speaker 3 (08:14):
Well, anyways, you know what we mean, folks, yeah.

Speaker 4 (08:18):
The togetherness.

Speaker 3 (08:20):
Now let's get to the meat of the podcast, the music
Brought meat.
Yeah, that comes later.

Speaker 4 (08:29):
Wait a minute.
This happened before Dream.
I'm not going there again.
Wait a minute.
Okay, I saw this on an episodeof Criminal Minds.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
Criminal Minds yeah, it's a different episode.
So, first of all, if I want toread the music that defines 76,
this is by some research I didand combined a bunch of
different things, right,different sites.
First we got Hotel California.
Not in particular order, I'mjust reading them this way Right
, right, right.
You had Hotel California by theEagles.

(08:58):
That was released in December.
It captured the essence of 70sexcess and disillusionment,
which is obviously true.
Bohemian Rhapsody, tom Hangingaround.
Great frickin' song.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
Did we not talk about this last time?
Yep.

Speaker 3 (09:14):
They released it in 75, but that song was still
kicking in 76.
It's amazing, just wild.
It came in late 1975, but itcharted in 76.

Speaker 4 (09:26):
But let's talk about what it really talks about.

Speaker 3 (09:28):
I mean, it's a system and we're not going down this
road again, are we?
No, no, okay, I was a littlenervous.

Speaker 4 (09:33):
No, I'm just saying the fact that he sang a song
that was about a certain thing,that just lasted and just tore
people's hearts.

Speaker 3 (09:44):
I believe it's your first rock opera.

Speaker 4 (09:46):
Yeah, opera, opera.

Speaker 3 (09:49):
That's the key word here.
It could basically be a play.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
Because you've got to think about plays.
You know, every play has Everyplay.
Every play has a death.
Look at Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet, yeah, playhas a death Like.
Look at Romeo and Juliet.

Speaker 3 (10:06):
Romeo and Juliet yeah that was tragic.
Dancing in the light.

Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah, I remember those.
Hey, this is about music, it is, but you have to think about
things that happened back in theday that you know that were
tragic.
All these plays were abouttragic.
Yeah, a lot of them, yeah.
All right let's move on to howit stood out.

Speaker 3 (10:31):
Don't Go Breaking my Heart by Elton John and Kiki D.
That was a big hit.
They played that a lot on theradio.

Speaker 4 (10:37):
They did.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
Disco Donna Summers yeah, donna Summers.
The Bee Gees yeah, pretty much,just pretty much.
Next year we'll be talkingabout Saturday Night.
Fever came out, the Bee Gees.
Saturday Night Fever and Discowas big then.
I even remember these littledisco plays.

(11:00):
I wasn't going to them thenpopping up everywhere, even
where we lived.
We had Punk Rock, the Ramones.
They released their debut albumin April of 76.

Speaker 4 (11:10):
What was the big song for them?

Speaker 3 (11:12):
There's a lot of good songs, but they're all.
I like the Ramones.
I'm not going to lie, I alwaysliked the Ramones, simple.

Speaker 4 (11:19):
Three chords Yep.

Speaker 3 (11:21):
They rocked, they had the Sex Pistols dropped.
Anarchy in the UK Big song.

Speaker 4 (11:26):
Can we say that?

Speaker 3 (11:27):
Then America's bicentennial band Boston
released their self-titled debutalbum one of the best-selling
debut albums of all time and ofcourse I'll be discussing that
later in the podcast Right, oneof my favorite albums ever.
Right Pretty much started offmy soundtrack to my life.
But from there, what are yourthoughts?

(11:48):
And this isn't our list, people.
No, this is something we pulledup A bunch of different sites
all put it together for us.

Speaker 4 (11:55):
I just have to.

Speaker 3 (11:56):
I mean, they're all good.
Everything we talked about hereExactly.
Whether you like the SexPistols or not, they had some
good songs.
Yes, strange Band, yes, sure,they did Real punk too.

Speaker 4 (12:06):
But the main thing I take away from this opening
segment is the bicentennial year.
It was everything, even toiletpaper.
Toilet paper was red, whiteblue, twinkies, red white blue,
yep, yep and just everything.
Beer packages.

Speaker 3 (12:23):
I mean everything.

Speaker 4 (12:23):
Yeah.
Yeah, it was just an amazingyear Because we Now you were
what?
Nine years old, I was nine,nine, I was nine.
A lot of things happened when Iwas nine, you know.
Do tell Well there are certainthings that you're.
You have older brother, baby no.

Speaker 3 (12:45):
No, no, I am the oldest.

Speaker 4 (12:46):
You're the older brother.
Okay, so I'm talking to you.

Speaker 3 (12:49):
I had a friend of mine that was a little older
than me.
That was my big brother.
Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 4 (12:54):
But you had a younger brother.
Yes, okay, remember what youused to do to him.
Yes, here, try this.
Well, my brother Believe it alot.

Speaker 3 (13:05):
I was a lot nicer.

Speaker 4 (13:06):
My brother, who was born in 1960.
Okay, okay, so he was sevenyears older than I was, and when
he was 16 and I was nine, oh,he was only 16.
Well, yeah, he was.
But you have to understand, Iwas around him a lot because you

(13:31):
know, we ran together and whenhis friends and they got out,
they were teenagers.
They had the little brown paperbags, if you know what I mean
Right right and so I wasinterested and they thought it
was funny and so that was myfirst introduction to any kind
of herbal I gotcha I gotcha,yeah, yeah I was a little later.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
Yeah, maybe was smoked a few butts and had a few
beers at this age of 13.
Won't lie about that.

Speaker 4 (14:05):
But yeah, we had a great time in 76.
It was just something that youremember when you're growing old
.

Speaker 3 (14:12):
Now, any of these groups or songs that I brought
up, you got a jingle.
Is there any songs that?
Of course, we're still going tobe talking music and we're
going to be fluctuating back andforth with nostalgia, right,
right, right.

Speaker 4 (14:29):
But anything that you want to talk about as far as
music and, well, the hotelcalifornia thing, was great, it
was just something.
Great album.
Okay, you have to understand.
At nine years old, when thiscame out, right, I heard it
because of the people I was, Iwas around, but when you're nine
, you don't understand the wordsand why it is.

Speaker 3 (14:47):
All you hear is you understand the words that are
coming out of my mouth.

Speaker 4 (14:50):
Nobody understands the words coming out of my mouth
, thanks, but anyway, you getinto this thing and things mean
more to you when you're olderthan they do when you're younger
.
So we didn't get the fullconcept of the song until I was
older.
I didn't.
Okay, you know, right, hotelCalifornia.

(15:12):
Then you get the concept of thesong when you're a teenager and
you're like, wow, now we'regetting into this music.
But that'll come later.
But this is what you thinkabout when you're nine.
You know you hear, stab it withtheir steely knives, but they
can't kill the bees.

Speaker 3 (15:29):
It scares you.
Well, the part that scares meis you can check out any time
you want, but you can neverleave.
Yeah, like that what I want todo now, quickly.
Okay, I'm just going to readthe top 40.
Gotcha, we don't have toelaborate on it.
I just want to talk about theread the top 40.

Speaker 4 (15:45):
Sure, is there anything that you want?

Speaker 3 (15:47):
to talk about in here .
We'll do that.
That's fine, but just to.
I mean we've been doing the top40 for every other year, yeah.

Speaker 4 (15:53):
We might as well do it here.

Speaker 3 (15:55):
So let's start from 40 and work backwards.
Okay, all by myself, ericCarman.

Speaker 4 (16:01):
Eric Carman.
No, not Carman.
Oh okay, no South Park, yetCartman.

Speaker 3 (16:06):
Lonely Night, angel Face Captain and Tennille.
Turn the Beat Around Vicki SueRobinson.

Speaker 4 (16:12):
Oh yeah, there's that disco.

Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, there it is Dream Weaver Gary Wright.
Freaky song as I got a littleolder and was doing other things
that song kind of spaced me out.

Speaker 4 (16:22):
Well, that's what it was for.
Let your.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
Love Flow the Bellamy Brothers.

Speaker 4 (16:25):
Bellamy Brothers yeah , Good song Good song, good song
.

Speaker 3 (16:27):
They got a lot more that I never knew, that you told
me about.
We got Dr Hook Only 16 at 35.

Speaker 4 (16:32):
That's one of my songs this week.

Speaker 3 (16:34):
Moonlight Feels Right .
Starbuck at 34.
Golden Years, David Bowie at 33.
You'll Never Find Another LoveLike Mine.
Lou Rawls, you Should BeDancing.
They're the Bee Gees.
Yeah, you Should Be Dancing.
Love, Roller Coaster.
Ohio Players Also, let's see, Ithink, Chili Peppers.

Speaker 4 (16:51):
Chili Peppers.
Yeah, I kind of did a versionyeah.

Speaker 3 (16:55):
Theme from Swat Rhythm Heritage.
Right back where we started,from Maxine Nightingale Sweet
Love Commodores.

Speaker 4 (17:05):
Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake your Booty Casey and the
Sunshine Band, yeah, yeah guys.

Speaker 3 (17:08):
Great song Take it to the Limits, eagles.

Speaker 4 (17:10):
Oh, the Eagles yeah.

Speaker 3 (17:12):
Get Up and Boogie.
That's right.
Silver Convention.
I remember them.
Love Hurts Nazareth, you SexyThing.
Hot Chocolate, I'd Really Loveto See you Tonight.
England Inn, john Ford Colby.

Speaker 4 (17:24):
Which we were just talking about, Every day one of
the good songs of theirs.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Boogie Fever.
The Silvers, misty Blue,dorothy Moore, bohemian Rhapsody
Queen.

Speaker 4 (17:34):
One more more.

Speaker 3 (17:35):
Andrea, true Connection.
How do you like it?
More, more, more, get CloserSeals and Crofts.
Love Hangover Is Get.

Speaker 4 (17:44):
Closer Seals and Crofts Love Hangover.
Is that anything like a hippiehangover?

Speaker 3 (17:46):
Kind of close.
I think they go together.
Hippies.

Speaker 4 (17:48):
Love, yeah, Fly.

Speaker 3 (17:49):
Robin Fly Silver Convention Up Up to the Sky.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
I Write the Songs.
Barry Manilow, that was mytheme song for many years.

Speaker 3 (17:57):
Yeah, you thought you wrote all the songs.

Speaker 4 (17:59):
I do write all the songs.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
Afternoon Delight and Vocal Band hey.

Speaker 4 (18:03):
So we're moving on Sarah Smile, daryl Hall and John
Oates.

Speaker 3 (18:06):
That got me that surprised me A Fifth of
Beethoven, walter Murphy and theBig Apple Band.
Love is Alive, gary Wright.
I just want to read these.
Right, let's see.
Gary Wright, 50 Ways to Leaveyour Lover.
Paul Simon.
Love Machine.
Part One, the Miracles.
Kiss and Say Goodbye to theManhattans.
Play that Funky Music.
Wild Cherry, december 1963, ohwhat a Night.

(18:30):
The Four Seasons that Was aGood Song.
Disco Lady.
Johnny Taylor, number 2, don'tGo Breaking my Heart, elton John
and Kiki D and Number 1, sillyLong Song Wings.
Now, this was all based offBillboard at year end Hot 100
singles chart, not our songs,right?
This is from Billboard Question.

(18:51):
Okay now.

Speaker 4 (18:53):
Silly love songs first.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
Okay, the Wings, Paul McCartney.

Speaker 4 (18:57):
Was it Paul McCartney and Wings, or just Wings?

Speaker 3 (19:00):
It might have been just Wings at this time.

Speaker 4 (19:02):
Might have been.

Speaker 3 (19:03):
Yeah.
Okay, I was just wonderingbecause it doesn't mention Paul
McCartney.
No, no, it does usually sayPaul McCartney Wings, but that's
something I didn't think.

Speaker 4 (19:09):
And the other thing that got me was coming from a
past that I did.
I mean, I knew everything, butI didn't realize that Daryl Hall
and John Oates were out before80s.

Speaker 3 (19:23):
That's because you were still a young lad?
Yes, I was, and you probablydidn't hear those songs besides
Maneater.

Speaker 4 (19:29):
Must have been because of my brother
introducing me to the herbalessence when I was so young.

Speaker 3 (19:35):
You were young I was nine.
Yeah, you were probablylistening to the wrong music at
nine.

Speaker 4 (19:42):
There was no wrong music at nine.

Speaker 3 (19:44):
No, nah, none at all.

Speaker 4 (19:47):
Well, disco Duck kind of was wrong, but Right, don't
you agree?

Speaker 3 (19:54):
Stupid.

Speaker 4 (19:55):
Well, there you go.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
Wild Cherry was funny because I think that story's
hilarious when they're playingsome funky music.
White boy somebody yells fromthe crowd.
So the guy took that, went home, wrote a song.
There it is.
Imagine that that's prettyfucked up.
Somebody yells at you.
Play some funky music, whiteboy, you know what?
I think I'll make up a song forthat.
Their only hit.

Speaker 4 (20:20):
I'm going to make a hit.

Speaker 3 (20:21):
That's some good music there.
Good top 40.
Of course you and I havethere's a couple on there we
both like but you and I havesome difference in what we
picked.

Speaker 4 (20:32):
Well, of course you know, and everybody knows, that
Bohemian Rhapsody stands out.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
It doesn't matter what kind of music you like.
If you didn't like that back inthe day you got something wrong
with you.
You have definitely somethingwrong with you.

Speaker 4 (20:44):
But you mentioned one of my favorite songs from that
era, which was Only 16, by DrHood.
Yes, but once again, I rememberout on the farm the only thing
I had was eight-track tapes andmyself and of course I pretended
like I was in a big concert andsinging and all that stuff and

(21:07):
I was part of the band.
You know how you do.

Speaker 3 (21:11):
I used to cut shapes of guitars out of wood, put a
board on it and have to comeplaying a guitar in front of a
mirror until I actually got areal guitar.
But anyways, I did stupid shitlike that, you know.
Let's get into the fashion andculture.

Speaker 4 (21:27):
I don't want to.

Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah well, we were having fun with this outside.
So let's see, we had bellbottoms and platform shoes.
We're still in the radio.
I've had bell bottoms, notplatform shoes.

Speaker 4 (21:37):
I've had both.

Speaker 3 (21:38):
Yeah, that's ridiculous.
Well it was.
Why would you wear platformshoes?

Speaker 4 (21:42):
Because it made me look a lot taller.
Number one and number two Ilooked like those kids on Fout
Albert the kid with the bigplatform shoes, the bell-bottoms
.

Speaker 3 (21:59):
I thought they all wore pretty much bell-bottoms.
Hey, hey, hey, alright.
Bicentennial fashion, red white, hey, all right, bicentennial
fashion.
Red, white and blue designsbecame part of everything from
socks to leisure suits.
Yeah, that's true.

Speaker 4 (22:11):
Even toilet paper.

Speaker 3 (22:12):
Toilet paper.
Yes, yes, yeah, red, white andblue ass.

Speaker 4 (22:17):
Well.

Speaker 3 (22:18):
No, yeah, well, it could stain.

Speaker 4 (22:20):
Well, it could you?

Speaker 3 (22:21):
they use the wrong ink.

Speaker 4 (22:23):
Well, speaking of ink and assholes, did you see the
picture of?

Speaker 3 (22:27):
Tiger King, let's not go there, let's not go there.
All right, mood rings and petrocks are still lingering from
75.

Speaker 4 (22:33):
I remember a mood ring.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
Yeah, those are goofy as fuck.

Speaker 4 (22:37):
Yeah, well.

Speaker 3 (22:38):
They still sell those .

Speaker 4 (22:39):
I bought my mother one that's oh.
So I could always tell whatkind of mood she was in when I
came to ask her shit.
I'd look at the ring and I'd belike ooh.

Speaker 3 (22:48):
Not a good time.
Not a good time.
Cb radios are massive yeah theywere, they rise their trucking
culture.
Smoking the bandit.

Speaker 4 (22:58):
CW McCall.
I had a handle on the CB whenmy dad had a CB in his car.
Cb when my dad had a CB in hiscar.

Speaker 3 (23:02):
What was your handle?

Speaker 4 (23:03):
Blue deer, you blew a deer.

Speaker 3 (23:06):
No, oh wow, that's like an Indian name or something
.
We call you blue deer.

Speaker 4 (23:11):
Yeah, blue, you blew a deer.
No blue as in the color.
Oh Color blue, okay, deer.
My dad, he was blue goose andthis is why.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
Funny story.
I want to say something so bad?
No, but out of respect for yourdad, I will not.
Well, I respect my dad, I'mgetting ready.

Speaker 4 (23:31):
Nope, nope, nope, blue Goose, I respect my dad so
much I'm going to tell you thisstory when he was in prison.

Speaker 3 (23:40):
Okay, your dad was in prison For a while.
Jail or prison.
Okay, your dad was in prisonFor a while.
Jail or prison.
Prison oh Jesus Tom.

Speaker 4 (23:48):
Yeah, well, anyway, that's another story.
But there was a bus that hauledthe camp around and it was
called the Blue Goose.
What camp?
The prison camp, you mean?

Speaker 1 (24:00):
it hauled they hauled them to wherever they had to
work that day, okay, okay.

Speaker 3 (24:04):
And it was called the Blue Goose, so my dad said his
CB handle was the Blue Goose.

Speaker 4 (24:10):
He brought that with him, I guess, but funny story.

Speaker 3 (24:18):
Now it's your turn to tell a humiliating story.
I have no humiliating stories,you don't?
They were all great.
Yeah, I remember what we weregoing to bring up.

Speaker 4 (24:26):
But you said we're not bringing that up.
So I'm not going to Remember.
Earlier in the week we weretalking and you said, no, we're
not bringing that up.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
I said I'm going to bring it up.
I did.
I looked at my cousin.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
That was it.
Was it that was a story?
No, there's more to the storythan that.

Speaker 3 (24:44):
Do tell.

Speaker 4 (24:45):
Wasn't there.
Yeah, anyway, refresh my memoryI thought your cousin was a guy
when you told that story.
No, it was my cousin, she's agirl.
Okay, you said bikini.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
I wasn't sure.
I told you there was 76, notnow, oh, okay.

Speaker 4 (25:01):
Not this time.
Anyway, back to the story.

Speaker 3 (25:04):
I mean, is there something else that remind me?

Speaker 4 (25:06):
if there's something else that I said, oh, no, no, no
, no, I was just going back.

Speaker 3 (25:09):
Oh, okay, I was just going back, I might have said
something at work, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (25:13):
No, no, I don't remember anything other than
that.
I just I had forgot.
You already mentioned thecousin.

Speaker 3 (25:19):
That was my weird little thing.
It's like I said my cousin,what the hell?
Yeah, sorry.
Anyways, technology andinnovation, all my cousins were
boys, sorry, Apple ComputerCompany was founded in April
1976 by Steve Jobs and SteveWozniak.
Apple Computer releasedretailing for 666.66.

Speaker 4 (25:45):
That's no joke.
Well, of course it did.
It had a symbol of the firstsin.

Speaker 3 (25:49):
Why the number of the beast?

Speaker 4 (25:50):
Well, because it had the symbol of the first freaking
sin on it with the apple, theapple got the bite taken out of
it.
Eve did it.
She ruined the world.
Women, weirdos, man, nope,let's back up.

Speaker 3 (26:07):
Let's edit that.
How about NASA's Viking 1successfully landed on Mars and
sent back the first clear imagesof the Martian surface?
Not a man was on Mars, amachine Right People go.
We were never on.

Speaker 4 (26:15):
Exactly.

Speaker 3 (26:16):
We can get into all those conspiracy theories.

Speaker 4 (26:19):
Another time the moon landing, blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 3 (26:21):
The Concorde jet remember that, yeah, jet
freaking began.
Passenger flights.
Supersonic commercial travelbecame a reality.
I don't even think they're inservice anymore now.

Speaker 4 (26:31):
No, they're not.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
I don't believe, so I think they had some problems
yeah well that big Scotlandairplane crashed.
Okay, I thought that was shotdown, maybe Well they thought
yep, they thought maybe.

Speaker 4 (26:44):
Okay, but that's what happened to the Concord.

Speaker 3 (26:47):
That's what happened then.

Speaker 4 (26:49):
No.

Speaker 3 (26:49):
Okay, how about politics and social change?
Jimmy Carter was electedpresident November 1976.

Speaker 4 (26:56):
Gerald Ford, wasn't he Defeating Gerald Ford?
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Jimmy Carter, Poor guy, Ended up being a lame-deck
president man because of thatfucking hostage crisis and all
that shit.

Speaker 4 (27:05):
Yeah, he got a bad one and he had old Billy Billy
Beer.
I had a six-pack of Billy.

Speaker 3 (27:11):
Beer Friends of mine had that shit too.

Speaker 4 (27:13):
I kept one can for like eight weeks.

Speaker 3 (27:17):
And you couldn't resist, you had to open it.

Speaker 4 (27:18):
I had to open it and it was skunk, you had to dump it
out.
Chunky had to dump it out, damnit.

Speaker 3 (27:22):
So you didn't refrigerate it or keep it cool
it was Billy Beard.

Speaker 4 (27:26):
You shouldn't have had to.

Speaker 3 (27:28):
Let's see we had post-Vietnam and post-Watergate
era.
Americans were skeptical butalso idealistic, especially
during the Bicentennial.
See again, the Bicentennialbrought people together man it
did.

Speaker 4 (27:39):
Everybody was together.

Speaker 3 (27:40):
I miss that shit.

Speaker 4 (27:41):
I do that shit.

Speaker 3 (27:42):
I do too.
Feminist movement, not to beconfused with what they call the
feminist movement now.
The women back then had a rightto whatever.

Speaker 4 (27:52):
Still growing.

Speaker 3 (27:53):
Discussion of equal rights amendment and more women
entering public life.

Speaker 4 (27:57):
Sure, they wanted to work, let them work.
They wanted to vote Let themvote Exactly.

Speaker 3 (28:03):
So let's see we could continue on.
Or do you think now we shouldtake a little break?
Let the little dudes in and I'mwith you.
Because I got more to say after.
But I mean we could do thiswhole podcast.
We could do it.
Yeah, I figure we'd give itsome space.
Let the little dudes come in.
We'll discuss more of our music.
Sure, if folks, we're going totake a little breaky-poo, we're

(28:27):
going to let the little dudescome in.
Hopefully we hear somethinggood out of them Decent.
I know Pip will be a littleprepared Squeak, he's a mess.
I don't even know if Troy'sbrought him in.

Speaker 4 (28:41):
We really don't never know what Squeak might have
coming.

Speaker 3 (28:43):
I did hear the helicopter earlier.

Speaker 4 (28:46):
Well, one of them showed up, then At least.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
You know Pip takes that Uber.
He loves his Uber.
But anyways, folks, we'll beright back.
Tom and I got to do a littleporch time and hope you enjoy
this episode.

Speaker 4 (29:00):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (29:12):
Hello, squeaky.
What's up?
What's up, Pip?
Not much.
What have you been up to?
Oh, about four foot two.
Oh, what do you think of thisepisode?
This time, I think this iskick-ass.
Man, what episode?
1976 music, I mean, oh, 1976.

(29:33):
Oh, yeah, well, well, weweren't around then, but that
was some good music.
That was good music, all right.
Okay, what's the problem?
No problem.
Well, you sound like there's aproblem.
Well, I have a question.
Okay, what's the problem?
No problem.
Well, you sound like there's aproblem.
Well, I have a question.
Okay, go ahead.
How do you make music on a CBradio?
It was just a song Squeak.

(29:56):
It was the most popular song inthat show.
Exactly why?
Because it was different.
Yeah, because you want to breakthe law with a big old truck.
No, no, cb radios were big.
You know, there's a reason.
What?
Why do you get a fine faultwith everything?
There's a reason that they'reoutlawed.

(30:19):
You have to have differentstuff now to have a radio.
Okay, what about Smokey and theBandit?
They used CBs.
They were outlaws.
They were just trying to getbeer somewhere.
Yeah, that didn't have beer.
Well, people wanted theircore's beer.

(30:40):
Yeah, south of the Masonicsline.
What's wrong with that?
I don't think so.
It was against the law.
Oh, but moonshine was okay.
No, it wasn't okay.
Oh well, they let it be, theydidn't let it be, they just
couldn't find it.
Oh, that's the difference.

(31:00):
Well, obviously they couldn'tcatch Smokey and the Bandit
either.
Well, did you see that dumbassthat was chasing him?
I mean Bandit, not Smokey, waschasing Bandit, you know what I
mean Did you see that dumbassthat was chasing him?
What a smart sheriff.
I'm a son of a bitch.
What about his son?

(31:20):
Yeah well, he was gettingmarried.
Remind me, when we get home I'mgonna slap your mama.
Yeah, the son was an idiot.
Yeah he was a dumbass, but okay.
Besides that, what was theproblem with the episode?

(31:41):
An episode, is that what you'recalling it?
I think Mike and Tom did aspectacular job, okay.
Well, let's just talk aboutsome things at a time.
Whoever the hell heard aboutstealing parts from a car
dealership?
Johnny Cash did.
He was in prison.

(32:04):
Okay, so he knew people.
Well, he shot somebody just towatch him die.
That's pretty funny.
Well, it's funny.
It might be, but it's scary.
Why I don't want to be the guyhe wants to watch die?
Well, you know what?
That tells me.
Fuck around and find out.
See, that's what happens.
Well, see, okay.
Well, there you go.

(32:24):
That tells me Fuck around andfind out.
See, that's what happens.
Well, see, okay.
Well, there you go.
There's no problem, it's a song.
Squeak, okay.
Well, it's just a damn song.
It was scary.
What are you scared of?
You're never scared of anything.
Speaking of, how was thehelicopter ride, were you in the
chopper or out of the chopper?

(32:45):
He let me in because it wasraining.
When was it raining Up in thesky?
Where else would it rain?
There's no rain here, no, butwhen I came in, it was raining.
I took a ride in a beautifulUber convertible.

Speaker 2 (33:00):
It was awesome.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
Did you the sun was shining?
Yeah, sky was blue.
Did you the sun was shining?
Yeah, sky was blue.
Birds were singing.
Then ATF came around the cornerand busted all y'all.
No For soliciting sex, probablyCadillac.
What are you talking about?
I've been in those before.
I know what movie you'retalking about.

(33:23):
I wasn't a movie.
I was in an Uber, yeah, drivingto the studio.
That's not what the name of themovie was, but I remember.
But I wasn't in a movie.
You got a free ride.

Speaker 2 (33:37):
Are you tripping?

Speaker 1 (33:38):
Nope, I'm just saying you got a free ride.
We all know how.
Uh hey, uber, you'reinsinuating something I don't
like.
Yeah, well, I don't likehelicopter rides either, but I
bring one every day.
Listen, you bitched, you had todrive here.
You bitched about the gasprices.
Now you're going to chop a ridein Troy's.

(33:58):
Very nice to do that.
I still don't know why.
Troy, troy.
Yeah, I went to his daughter'swedding.
No, no, no, no, no.
Um, I don't believe this.
Yeah, last weekend his daughtergot married.
Wait, a minute, I went there.
I don't remember Mike and Tomtalking about that.

(34:19):
That's because they weren'tinvolved.
How were they not involved?
They worked for Mike and Tom.
Well, there's certainsituations where we have Wait a
minute, wait, stop, stop, stop,stop.
I asked you a couple weeks ago.
I said you guys are bestfriends and you said nope, we're

(34:42):
acquaintances.
Yeah, nobody invites anacquaintance to a wedding,
especially their daughters.
Sure, they do.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
I don't like this.
I don't like where this isgoing.
Okay well, anyway, anyway.
Okay, he asked me to sing asong at his daughter's wedding.

Speaker 2 (35:02):
Oh my God, this is getting worse.

Speaker 1 (35:04):
Yeah, well, at his daughter's wedding.
Oh, my God, this is gettingworse.
Yeah, well, at his daughter'swedding.
And so I sang, never mind.
Anyway, he wasn't happy aboutwhat I sang.
I want to know what you sang.
Squeak, what do you mean?
What did you sing?
I sang a song.
Oh, it was a song.
Well, it was his daughter'swedding, right, and evidently he

(35:26):
took, he took offense with thesong.
What was the song?
Please don't tell me.
It was heard it from a friend.
Nope, can't always get what youwant.
Anyway, that was a good song.
I know that song.
That's not a good song for awedding, but I can sing good
song.
I know that song.
That's not a good song for awedding, but I can sing that

(35:49):
song really good.
Think about it.
Think about it.
Sit back for a minute, don'tsay anything.
Think about what you sang andwhere you were at.
Okay, okay, I sang.
You can't always get what youwant.
Why would you sing that at awedding?
Because I'm good at it.

(36:10):
Okay, at a wedding, people loveeach other.
Getting married, that's stupid.
You're saying to somebody Well,first off, first off, first off
.
Why would you be gettingmarried to somebody so sensitive
that they don't want me to sing.
Can't always get what you wantit, it, it it does.

(36:33):
And, and furthermore, I don'tunderstand why the police were
called.
I didn't get that part.
Wait a minute.
So all this happened and Troystill gave you a ride here,
today.
Well, sure, troy understandseverything.
No, no, no, no, somethinghappened.

(36:55):
What did you do with Troy?
What do you mean?
What happened to Troy?
Nothing happened to Troy.
Troy would have.
No, you did that at hisdaughter's wedding.
He would not have.
He won't forgive you for that,but he wasn't there.
It was his daughter's wedding.
That was a different thing thatwe had.

(37:18):
I told him we were going to andhe went there instead, but it
was a misunderstanding.
Oh, wow, wow.
It kind of got all mixed up.
I was there, I helped out.
You gave him false information.
No, no, no, he misunderstood.
I think he did it on purpose.

(37:41):
Squeak, what misunderstood.
Yeah, I did misunderstand onpurpose.
I think.
What misunderstood.
Yeah, yeah, I did misunderstandon purpose.
I think I'm going to talk toMike and Tom and see what the
hell's going on here, because,uh, have you talked to them
people?
They don't have a damn cluewhat's going on.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
All right.

Speaker 1 (37:58):
I understand Tom and Mike might be a little slow.
Well, they don't listen to theright music.

Speaker 2 (38:05):
I thought all their music was excellent.

Speaker 1 (38:08):
One piece at a time didn't cost me a dime.
But you damn cheapskate, go outand buy a car, don't steal it,
maybe.
Over the years, maybe becausehe was in jail, he didn't have
money.
How are you going to steal acar from jail?
He got out of jail and thenstole a car.
No, no, no, he didn't steal acar.

(38:29):
He stole parts and built thecar.
That's different, one piece ata time.
What a dumbass.
But I wonder how long it tookhim in all reality?
Well, if you listen to the song, it took 45, 55, 55, 65, 65, 65
, 85 automobile.
You know all that shit.
There's more parts than thatthough.

(38:51):
Well, yeah, was he taking morethan one piece at a time?
Well, sure, oh, okay.
Well, his lunchbox would onlycarry certain.
But here's my question how doyou fit an engine?
Yeah, how do you fit an engine?
That's what I want to know.
Where do?
But here's my question how doyou fit an engine?

Speaker 2 (39:04):
Yeah, how do you fit a?

Speaker 1 (39:05):
damn car door in there.
That's what I want to know.
Where did the heads go?
I think they're lying, cass,yeah, something's up.
Where is the Wait?
You've got to put the blocksomewhere.
Okay, so we're understandingthat 1976 was a big illusion,
right, that song, but it wasstill a good song.
They were all on drugs,everyone, okay, what about that
group?
Boston?
More than a feeling.

(39:27):
Okay, well, they hit it right.
One group out of the whole damnclan.
Kiss, more than a feeling.
Hey, you went and saw mini kiss, what.
You went and saw mini kiss,mini kiss.
So you like kiss?
Well, listen, because I dated amidget, don't mean you can

(39:48):
holler oh, you had a mini kiss,oh you what?
No, no, you went and saw a minikiss.
Oh, those little fellas.
Yes, just like kiss.
No, no, you wanted to get onstage with them.
I did not go to them.
You wanted to be on stage withthem and play your air guitar.
I did, but they wouldn't let me, so I didn't.

(40:08):
Okay, so that's why you'reupset.
I boycotted them, bitches.
So you're upset about that?
No, not anymore.
I don't know.
Squeak, you know, every weekit's something with you and I
like being something, and I'lltell you right now.
I'm going to get to the bottomof this Troy and his daughter
wedding thing.

Speaker 2 (40:27):
I heard about you getting to the bottom of stuff.

Speaker 1 (40:29):
You can make fun of me, all you want.
Yeah, with your cousin.
Something's not.
Leave my cousin out of it.
Well, I'm not the one who toldhim to wear a bikini, it's a her
.
Oh, and don't confuse me withMike.
Oh, yes, I looked at my cousinstoo, but that's Mike and this

(40:50):
is me.
That's different.
Okay, two different things.
I got you All right, so I guessthat'll do it for this episode.
Yeah, this episode kind of wentsouth pretty quick.
Yeah, always going south withyou Squeak.
Anyways, folks, until next timelater, see ya, see ya.

Speaker 3 (41:32):
Until next time later .
See ya Squeak.
Well, Squeak's always been theissue, Always been the issue.
I thought he'd be over this bynow, but sometimes he just seems
angrier.
He has his good moments.

Speaker 4 (41:38):
He does.
He does when he's asleep, right, he's like an infant.

Speaker 3 (41:45):
Yeah Well, you know what Hell with him.
Let's get back to what we wantto talk about.

Speaker 4 (41:50):
Yeah, music, this is about us.

Speaker 3 (41:51):
Anyway, you have a list of songs, Tom, that you
would like to discuss.

Speaker 4 (41:55):
I enjoyed most of the songs that we've talked about
already, and I'd like to bringup Dr Hook again.

Speaker 3 (42:04):
Not a problem.

Speaker 4 (42:05):
Dr Hook was big back then.
Yeah, surprise, hey, that'swhat you're into One of my
biggest bands.
This is what this is about, yep.

Speaker 3 (42:12):
And you're not the only one that's into Dr Hook.

Speaker 4 (42:14):
But they did come out with one of the biggest songs
in 1976, which was she Was Only16.
We all remember that song.

Speaker 3 (42:24):
Yeah, why is an older man singing?
She Was Only 16?
.

Speaker 4 (42:28):
We don't really know how old he was.
He sounds older, well he soundsolder now.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
Is he singing it from someone else's perspective?
Probably, I hope so me too.

Speaker 4 (42:39):
Okay, yeah, that would make me feel a lot more.
That was part of the hippiehangover that would make me feel
a lot better about the band, if, if he was singing something
else.
But yeah, but that was one ofmy songs and it just takes me
back to when I was the summersliving with my sister and her

(43:00):
husband and out on the farm andI had nothing to do.
These are the guys that she hadon eight track got you through
your day yep, that's what listento.
That's what this is about.
Pretending I was a big rockstar and singing I was the only
one in the house so I could doanything I wanted and not look
like an idiot.

Speaker 3 (43:20):
Who cares?
But I know what you mean.
We have our secret moments.

Speaker 4 (43:24):
I probably still look like an idiot, but I don't know
that.
Anyway, nobody else did eitherI don't know that.

Speaker 3 (43:31):
Anyway, nobody else did either.
Well, you're not jumping aroundplaying the air guitar now
thinking you're a rock star.

Speaker 4 (43:35):
But I don't know what you do at home.
What?

Speaker 3 (43:40):
Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, so we'll move on.

Speaker 4 (43:46):
What else you got.
I like my air guitar.
I'm pretty good at it.
Anyway, here's what reallysurprised me.
What's that?
I'm an 80s baby.
Okay, you know you get to the80s?

Speaker 3 (43:59):
Oh no, it's at 80s.

Speaker 4 (44:01):
Daryl Hall and John Oates.
Okay, I was very, very shockedand surprised to find out they
had a hit song in 1976.
They did.
I was nine years old.
They were there, was it?

Speaker 3 (44:14):
Sarah.

Speaker 4 (44:15):
Sarah smiled.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
Sarah smiled.
You know what's funny.
You bring up Hall Oates.
You know which one sticks outto me and I believe it's from
that year Back Together Again.

Speaker 4 (44:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
Great song by Hall Oates.
Here they are Again.
I was just turning a teenagerRight.
Those are the songs that Ilistened to when I listened to
the radio.

Speaker 4 (44:36):
I'm used to Wake Me.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
Up, so I knew they were.

Speaker 4 (44:39):
You know I'm used to the other I mean the other, not
Aerosmith but I'm used to theother songs by Daryl Hall and
John Oates.

Speaker 3 (44:48):
The 80s ones?

Speaker 4 (44:49):
Yeah, early 80s yeah, other songs by Daryl Hall and
John Oates, the 80s ones yeahthose.
And we'll get to those later.
But I never dreamed that theyhad a hit song in 76, but here I
am learning things.

Speaker 3 (45:00):
It's funny, you thought they were just an 80s
band.

Speaker 4 (45:03):
Yeah, here I am learning things.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
What's your any more?
I'm sure you've got more.

Speaker 4 (45:10):
Oh yeah, I, I have more which is, uh, aerosmith
dream on.
I spoke of that earlier and Ijust I think that grabbed a hold
of me because I'd never heardanybody hit notes like he did in
that song at that point in mylife.
And I'm like man, if I couldsing like that I would be it.

(45:36):
Well, of course I would bebecause he was.
But anyway, I'm just sayingthat's a song that just grabbed
me by wow rock.
And so then, when we wereyounger, we developed this air
band.

Speaker 3 (45:55):
Yes, did you say air band?

Speaker 4 (45:59):
air band, not hair band, no, not hair, no that was
in the 80s air band when youdon't know how to play an
instrument, right, it's air, sothat's how that goes.
But the Bay City Rollers theyhad a huge hit Saturday night

(46:22):
and I remember each one of mybuddies we all had this little
crate that we'd turn upside downand put a pillow on top of so
we could stand up on it and actlike we were on stage singing
that song.
It was weird.
Wild, wild, wild ride.
That was a wild ride, yeah,saturday night.

(46:43):
Then if you flipped it over, ifyou flip that little single
over, yep, the little 45, it was.
Did you boogie with your baby?
Nope, no it wasn't.
No, you're right, it wasn't.

Speaker 3 (46:58):
It was Saturday Night Fever, saturday Night Fever,
saturday Night, and the otherside was Maralina.
Yep, yep.

Speaker 4 (47:05):
You were right.

Speaker 3 (47:06):
I knew there was a song.

Speaker 4 (47:07):
I couldn't think of.
But Boogie with your baby is.

Speaker 3 (47:12):
Flash Cadillac and the Continental Kids.

Speaker 4 (47:15):
We're there.
I just had them mixed up,that's all.
As we move on, but I have totell you 1976 was the year that
I was introduced to Kiss.
I don't know what big Kiss songgrabbed me by the hoo-hoo at
first.
Kind of grabbed you by thewoo-hoo, yeah.

(47:36):
But I do know that KISS washuge when I was like 19, 11.
So I remember.

Speaker 3 (47:47):
Well, both of us were talking outside.
You brought up the KISS Armywas really big back then.
It was huge back then.
Let's be realistic.
Kiss came out with Destroyerearly Early early, 76.
Yep, and they finished off inNovember of 76 with Rock and
Roll Over.

Speaker 4 (48:03):
Right, right, lots of stuff in between.

Speaker 3 (48:07):
That's going to be getting into some of the bands I
talk about during some of thesongs.

Speaker 4 (48:11):
But yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:12):
Kiss, of course.

Speaker 4 (48:13):
But that's what drug me to my rock and roll back, so
Kiss got you a little way fromthe country.

Speaker 3 (48:22):
And Dr Hook yeah, because I was always country and
Dr Hook.

Speaker 4 (48:24):
John Hanover blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
And that's what surprises me, tom, the music you
listen to, and then it's Kiss.

Speaker 4 (48:31):
Right and Dr Hill and that's what surprises me, tom,
the music you listen to.
And then it's Kiss Right andACDC, and I like Lynyrd Skynyrd
and I like oh, lynyrd Skynyrd, Iget Southern Rock Right.
Which is a lot of Southern Rock, and then Def Leppard.
Def Leppard is one of myfavorite bands.

Speaker 3 (48:43):
Def Leppard, we'll get to them, but Def Leppard to
me after Pyromania.

Speaker 4 (48:48):
Right, right, it was done.
Not the same to me anymore.
Yeah, it was done, but.

Speaker 3 (48:52):
I'm just saying but yeah we'll discuss that.

Speaker 4 (48:53):
As we got to this.
But you know we always go tothe rock and everything, and I
love rock and I do, but there'slike you, love all different
genres.
Nothing wrong with that.
I'm the same Johnny Cash.
I remember my favorite JohnnyCash song that came out in 1976.

Speaker 3 (49:12):
One piece at a time, one piece at a time, and it
didn't cost me a dime.

Speaker 4 (49:17):
I was nine and that was the most hilarious song,
because this guy stole parts.

Speaker 3 (49:22):
And the way he goes on in the song yeah, 45, 55, 56,
57, you know no, johnny Cash.

Speaker 4 (49:27):
You know it was so much fun to hear that.
See, that's one of my favoritecountry artists and doing
research on that song, Irealized that the producers of
that album actually built a carout of all those parts, and

(49:47):
Johnny Cash is sitting in thedriver's seat and they take a
picture of that car.

Speaker 3 (49:52):
It was the coolest thing I ever saw.

Speaker 4 (49:54):
Look it up, guys, it's out there.
It is out there.
That's awesome.
I didn't know that either.
Yeah, it was cool.
It looked funny as hell, but itwas there, excellent.
But that was one of the songs Ienjoyed when I was young.

Speaker 3 (50:09):
Anything else that you have, well, of course, like
to talk about?

Speaker 4 (50:14):
Everybody in the 76 era had a CB radio, did they not
?

Speaker 3 (50:18):
Ah, are we going down the CW McCall road?

Speaker 4 (50:22):
With Convoy Convoy we got a big old convoy rocking
through the night.

Speaker 3 (50:28):
Come on and join this convoy.

Speaker 4 (50:31):
Ain't she a beautiful sight.

Speaker 3 (50:34):
What's with the women singing in it?

Speaker 4 (50:37):
Well, they always had them.
It was kind of like a truckstop.
The waitress at the truck stopis in the background singing.
That's what it was.
Oh, don't forget the tearjerker.
What's what it was oh jeez, oh,don't forget the tearjerker.
What's that Teddy bear?
Remember the little cripple boythat wanted?
All he ever wanted was a ridein a truck and a big 18-wheeler.

Speaker 3 (51:00):
Who sang that CW?

Speaker 4 (51:01):
Red Sovine.

Speaker 3 (51:03):
Oh, see another song I don't remember.
I don't know if I ever heard itTeddy bear.

Speaker 4 (51:07):
Are you sure when the little?

Speaker 3 (51:08):
teddy bear gets on, the little boy gets on the.

Speaker 4 (51:11):
CB, Just real quick.
The little boy gets on the CBand he's like yeah, my mom says
I shouldn't get out here and askthis, but I want to ride in a
big truck and I'm crippled and Ican't do this.
And pretty soon his mom comeshome from work.
She sees all these trucksoutside her house all lined up
Waiting to give him a damn ridein their trucks and all that
that's awesome.

Speaker 3 (51:33):
And then they found out he died a few months later.
But anyway, teddy Bear, wait aminute, wait a minute Was he
alive when they all pulled up.
At least, yeah, did he get hisride.

Speaker 4 (51:40):
Well, until the last guy took him the ride back.
But, it's a long story.
Oh damn man, Now look it up.
Now you made me sad, Now youmake me sad.
I'm sad I'm making shit up now,but that wasn't how it really
happened.
But the song is a great song.
You ought to really look it upand listen to it.
It brings you back there.
But the other thing I wanted tojust touch base on is Willie

(52:10):
Nelson and Waylon Jennings, thegood old outlaw boys.
The way they capitalized inthat era.
Mama, don't let your babiesgrow up to be cowboys.
That was the most great advicein the world.
Dallas Cowboys suck.
I mean, how would they knowback?

Speaker 3 (52:28):
then how did we get to the Dallas Cowboys?

Speaker 4 (52:32):
Well, that's what they said.

Speaker 3 (52:33):
Well, they said Cowboys, they didn't say Dallas.

Speaker 4 (52:37):
It's implied.

Speaker 3 (52:38):
Oh, okay, never knew that.

Speaker 4 (52:41):
I learned something today, folks, cool, cool.
But yeah, there was a lot ofthings and the different, but
the one thing that stood out, ofcourse, was Bohemian Rhapsody,
how it just stood in test oftime and.
But I know that you love Boston, I do love Boston, so it brings

(53:02):
us to your favorite stuff.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
Well, before I get into my favorite stuff, I'm just
going to kind of talk about theother little things from 76 and
then sweep back into that Sure.
Alright, so I wanted to go backinto what we talked about,
certain things that kind ofstuck out in 76, Tom Right.
So you know we both like snacks, food, Heck yeah, Doritos.

(53:27):
There you go.
So we have food and snacks thathit big in 76.
Pop Rocks the fizzy cracklingcandy hit the mainstream around
this time.
Do you remember those?

Speaker 4 (53:38):
I do remember Pop Rocks.
Hey, remember when.

Speaker 3 (53:40):
Mikey died from Pop Rocks and soda or some shit.
Yeah, you're supposed to.

Speaker 4 (53:44):
Mikey from the light commercial yeah, you're not
supposed to drink soda with PopRock because the peas would make
your belly swell up, blow up.
Do you realize how big yourbelly can get?
Pretty big.

Speaker 3 (53:57):
Have you seen some people out there?

Speaker 4 (53:59):
Yeah, they showed me how big my belly could get.

Speaker 3 (54:05):
Jell-O 1-2-3.
A three-layer dessertintroduced early in the 70s was
still what the hell is Jell-O1-2-3.
A three-layer dessertintroduced early in the 70s was
still what the hell is Jell-O1-2-3?
Okay, wait a minute.

Speaker 4 (54:13):
You don't remember that it was like strawberry
Jell-O, and then they had thewhipped cream and then the
strawberry Jell-O and then thewhipped cream.
Such a different Jell-O.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (54:24):
All right, let's see Introduced a breakfast menu in
test markets.
Egg McMuffin started gettingyou.
I love the Egg McMuffin, notgoing to lie.

Speaker 4 (54:31):
Yeah the Egg.
Mcmuffin Sausage Egg.

Speaker 3 (54:33):
McMuffin.
Not a keen person of McDonald'sfood, but I can eat those all
day.
Yeah, hey, do you remember TabCola, tang Tang, space food
sticks?
I don't think I remember thespace food sticks.

Speaker 4 (54:45):
I don't remember the space food sticks, but I do
remember Tang.

Speaker 3 (54:50):
Yeah Tang.
I remember Astronauts drinkTang.

Speaker 4 (54:53):
Astronauts drink Tang .
My mother used to drink Tab.
Well, because it was wayconscious.
It was a little white Tab inthe pink or whatever color, pink
and orange and whatever, andhere we go.

Speaker 3 (55:05):
We talked about this earlier.
Bicentennial themed packagingappeared on everything,
budweiser cans to Kellogg'scereals.

Speaker 4 (55:11):
Yep and toilet paper.

Speaker 3 (55:13):
You want to keep throwing that toilet paper.
I like wiping my butt with thatToilet paper is very important
to you.

Speaker 4 (55:18):
It is very important to me.
I went like in 2019.

Speaker 3 (55:22):
Without toilet paper.

Speaker 4 (55:23):
Yeah, we were in a shortage, I think it was 20.
Whatever, we were in a shortage.

Speaker 3 (55:29):
See, we always stock up on that.
It's one of those stupid thingsI hate going to the store for.

Speaker 4 (55:34):
You were the reason we had no toilet paper.
You stocked up on it.
Yeah, probably, probably.

Speaker 3 (55:39):
I'm not ashamed of it .
Okay, I do it all the time I'mprepared.
That's what it is.
I'm prepared, oh, prepared.
Yeah, I knew that one day I'mgoing to have to shit and
there'd be no toilet paper.
So I said, hey, I'm gettingtoilet paper.

Speaker 4 (55:55):
You know what I said, what there might be one day I
have to shit.
You know what I'm going to get?
A good shower, no, a Californiaburrito.
That's not going to helpanybody.
Well, it'll help me shit.

Speaker 3 (56:07):
Yeah, it certainly will.
All right, let's see what elsewe have.
We have all kinds of stuff.
We do have all kinds of stuffhere.
Let's see Books.
Remember Roots, roots, alex YepHaley was published, a
monumental work inAfrican-American literature in
US history.
The movie was pretty damn goodtoo.
Watch that in school.
Yep, stephen King's cool.
Yep, stephen King's CarrieCarrie, freaky movie.

Speaker 4 (56:29):
Yes, Carrie is a scary movie.

Speaker 3 (56:33):
Didn't all the blood at the end bother you?
No, not really, is it when shefreaked out?
No, well, she had blood pouredon her.

Speaker 4 (56:43):
Okay, wait a minute.
Are we talking about Carrie?

Speaker 3 (57:02):
or my honeymoon, my honeymoon, miscellaneous
cultural trends, oh, rollerdiscos and skating rinks.
Now I'm going to be honest Inever roller skated.
I did Never, never did I rollerskate.
I did roller skate, I skated, Iskated, never roller skated in

(57:22):
my life.

Speaker 4 (57:23):
I've never ice skated .

Speaker 3 (57:25):
But you roller skated , but I roller skated.

Speaker 4 (57:28):
But you're from up north, where they ice skate and
hockey and all that.

Speaker 3 (57:31):
We had roller skating rinks up there.
We had Smiley Kansas.
We had roller skating rinks.

Speaker 4 (57:42):
I don't know why, I just never got into it.
We had a Halloween party onetime and this girl had a big old
party at the roller skatingrink.
She invited all of us.
I remember getting in a fightwith this boy.
He was a clown.
I remember getting in a fightwith this boy.
He was a clown.
I was the Hulk.
Was he Charlie Brown?
Nope, he was a clown, just aclown, just a regular clown, not
Charlie Brown, charlie Brown.
Yeah, he was a clown, but notthis guy.

(58:03):
But I was the Hulk Hulk Hoganor Green Hulk, green Hulk Hulk
Hogan or Green Hulk, green Hulk.
Okay, and what caused the issuewas when we bobbed for apples,
I was nobody.
I was nobody then because allmy green stuff washed off my
face and he made fun of me andwe got in a fight.

(58:26):
So you looked ridiculous, I did, and we got in this fight and,
yeah, it was sad.

Speaker 3 (58:33):
Sad, yeah, sad.
Kasami was in full swing.
Ah, yes, we were.
The band was everywhere.
Well, we just talked about twoalbums out one year.

Speaker 4 (58:42):
Right, and we talked about how they had bubble gum
with the little cards that youmade a picture of Little Gene
Simmons.

Speaker 3 (58:49):
If there's anything he can sell, he'll sell it.

Speaker 4 (58:51):
Yes, Well, he's Jew Shh.
Nope, Can't say that.

Speaker 3 (58:56):
We're going to take that out.
Yep, all right, you light up my?

Speaker 4 (58:59):
life.
I'm surprised that I figuredthat out, but anyway, yes, I do.
Well, not you.

Speaker 3 (59:05):
It's a song.
Oh yeah, sentimental songs andpatriotism was woven throughout
entertainment.
A miniseries format on TVstarted thanks to Rich man Poor
man I remember my mother watchedthat and Roots, as we just
discussed.
So that's that stuff We'll getinto movies.

(59:28):
Let's get to the movies.
Now let's get to TV and films,and then I'll get into my music
Lonesome Dove.
That was later, I know, butminiseries.

Speaker 4 (59:37):
It was a miniseries.
It was what a bunch of crock.
Why would they make somethinglike that, isn't?
That Kenny Rogers he issomebody or something, tom
Selleck I don't Speaking of.
Kenny he had a 1976 pit and theGambler.
That was a good song 1976.
That's a good story song.

Speaker 3 (59:56):
Bingo.
So, anyways, let's go to TV andfilm moments.
Rocky, released in December of76, it became a cultural
juggernaut and won the AcademyAward for Best Picture.
All the President's Menreflected ongoing national
mistrust.
Post-watergate Remember thatRobert Redford movie?
I saw that.
Oh yeah, charlie's Angels, ah,the original Charlie's Angels

(01:00:18):
people yeah, not Farrah Fawcett,kate Jackson.
And how can I think of theother girl's?

Speaker 4 (01:00:24):
name ever, because she didn't really do anything
after that.
Well, no, she was hot too.

Speaker 3 (01:00:31):
Well, she was hot, too Well, she was hot, but she
didn't do anything after that.
Anyways, Laverne and Shirleydebuted.
They just spin out from HappyDays.
Oh, you remember how?

Speaker 4 (01:00:36):
hot they were.

Speaker 3 (01:00:38):
I don't think they were really hot.

Speaker 4 (01:00:39):
Well, why'd you remember them and not the other
chick from Shirley's?

Speaker 3 (01:00:43):
age, because I'm looking at their names, it's
right there, laverne and Shirley, I got you.
It's telling me, I got you.
Roots was filmed in 76 topremiere early in 1977.
Right, because the book was outin 76.
Sure, and this I did not know.
The Muppet Show premiered inthe UK in 76 and in US
syndication the same year.
It started in the UK, yeah,that blows my mind.

Speaker 4 (01:01:08):
I wonder if it's because of Mr Snuffleup?
Nope, that was Sesame Street.
Never mind, never mind.
I'm getting my young youthshows mixed up.

Speaker 3 (01:01:19):
Yeah, well, hey, it happens, it was a long time ago.
It was a long time ago.
Yeah, it was Now.
I want to get in some of themusic.
Well, there's a lot here that Ilike.
I'm not going to elaborate on alot of them, I'm just going to
kind of tell you which ones andwhy I like your high spots.
Boston Yep the whole album Morethan a feeling when that came
out that blew my mind.
No exaggeration there either.

(01:01:40):
More than a feeling, somethingabout you, peace of mind.

Speaker 4 (01:01:48):
On, and, on, and on.

Speaker 3 (01:01:50):
Peter Frampton came out.
I remember this girl in schooltalking about a title Frampton
Comes Alive.
You got to hear it and she'sright.
The songs on Frampton ComesAlive are awesome.
My brother liked Peter Frampton.
Peter Frampton, you know goodmusic.
I made fun of it for a while,but she got me on the right
track.
You made fun of it because yourbuddies made fun of it, not

(01:02:12):
because you really listened, no,I think because I looked at the
guy and I said, really, I kindof looked at him and said, yeah,
then, once I heard his guitarplaying, I was like okay, Eagles
.
We talked about this at HotelCalifornia.

Speaker 4 (01:02:28):
Scared shit right out of me.

Speaker 3 (01:02:30):
Life in the Fast Lane .
Another good song off thatalbum Aerosmith Rocks.
Now, I didn't get into thisalbum in 76.
77, I was at school.
Right Bought the album.
I told you the story RightLibrary.
You get to go in and studywhatever it was.
You had a turntable, you couldput the album on headphones.
You get to go in and studywhatever it was.

(01:02:50):
You had a turntable, you couldput the album on headphones.
You do your school work and sitthere and listen to records.
45 minutes of that was awesome.
So that's where rock came inand my big one that you'll laugh
at, tom Rush 2112.
Concept album blew me away.
I've never heard stuff likethat.
Yeah, I know you make fun of it, I still say it away.
I've never heard stuff likethat.
Yeah, I know you make fun of it, I still say it.

(01:03:11):
It's music for nerds.
But that album to me, 2112, flyby Night from Rush is good, but
2112 will always be my topalbum from Rush.

Speaker 4 (01:03:18):
Rush has their moments.

Speaker 3 (01:03:20):
And, like I said, the list goes on.
These are the albums that Ifreaking love.
Boys of Coal, Agents of FortuneDon't Fear the Reaper.
Come on man, Don't Fear theReaper.
Thin Lizzy Jailbreak my firstThin Lizzy album that I bought.

Speaker 1 (01:03:32):
That came out.

Speaker 3 (01:03:33):
I bought that just because the boys are back in
town.
That's the only reason I boughtthat album.
Tom Petty, because AmericanGirl was Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers Yep, ac, dc, highVoltage.
I didn't listen to that untilthe year after.
But again, bon Scott, awesomeYep, kiss, rock and roll over in
Detroit Rock City.

Speaker 4 (01:03:53):
Everything was Kiss A destroyer, I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:03:55):
Those two albums to me.
Bob Seger is another one, whenhe first came out with Night
Moves.

Speaker 4 (01:04:01):
Bob Seger was the shit.
I mean again just talk Like arock man.

Speaker 3 (01:04:06):
We're just talking about these songs.
This is songs I grew uplistening to.
Even from that year, I keptplaying them my whole teen years
.
These are the songs I listenedto Queen Day at the Races.
They had Somebody to Love.
That was a good song.
Steve Miller Band Take theMoney and Run.

Speaker 4 (01:04:25):
Oh, come on, Take the .

Speaker 3 (01:04:27):
Money and Run Great song.
Another band I get into whichis kind of symphonic rock
Electric Legged Orchestra,yellow, gotta love them Runaways
.
When I bought the Queens ofNoise album, oh yeah, I'm like
what the hell is this group?
I saw these hot chicks on thisalbum and it kicks ass.
So anyway, those are just alist.

(01:04:48):
There's more, but those are mytop and to this day still love
all these songs.
Heck yeah.
But again, this is starting toget into the soundtrack of my
youth.

Speaker 4 (01:04:57):
Yep, this is why this is getting close to me too.
10 years old.
It's great when you hit 10 to13, you're starting to just
understand life and everything,and music is a big part of that.

Speaker 3 (01:05:11):
A huge part of that Music is a big part of that, tom
, and you know to this day someof these songs I can listen to
and think back of with well, Idon't know what kind of song,
let's say any song it could bewith a girl.
You were with your friendspartying.
What you were going through atthe time, you know it's all

(01:05:32):
kinds kinds of.

Speaker 4 (01:05:32):
This song jogs this memory.
This song jogs that memory.
Chicago, 1976.
Chicago had a big song that waslater on played it like these
high school gym dances that yougo to, and it was a big part of
your life.
Which one was it?
Color my world?
Which one Was it Color my World?
No, 25 or 64?
No, it was something slow Color.

Speaker 3 (01:05:53):
My World is a slow Chicago song.

Speaker 4 (01:05:58):
I played that at school dances when I was in
school, yeah, but when I wasyounger it was a little
different, but anyways.
Yeah, I'll get to them, I'llunderstand what they are.
They come out and everything.
But yeah, that was your firsttime holding a girl that wasn't
your cousin or your neighbor orsome stupid joke, you know Right

(01:06:19):
, and you're like, wow, this isreally happening.

Speaker 3 (01:06:24):
No, and that's what I mean, especially like for me
being 13,.
This was junior high and,anyways, I love this episode.
I do too.
This was junior high and,anyways, love this episode, I do
too.

Speaker 4 (01:06:34):
I think this is great .
It's bringing us back.

Speaker 3 (01:06:37):
Awesome episode, but I think on that point, on that
note, I will probably call itquits right now, unless you got
something else to add there, myfriend.

Speaker 4 (01:06:48):
I don't believe that I have anything left.
76 was a great year.

Speaker 3 (01:06:54):
It was a great year that started everything pretty
much, at least for me.

Speaker 4 (01:06:57):
Well, I'm stepping into my pre-teen years and it's
10.
I'm going to be 10 years old,coming up and all these songs
from all my siblings are justrunning through my head.

Speaker 3 (01:07:12):
No, and that's why we're doing this, and I'm
excited this is actually joggingmore memories.

Speaker 4 (01:07:16):
When I was nine, I was sure, I was absolutely sure,
I was going to be a rock starby now.

Speaker 3 (01:07:21):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:07:22):
Well, I'm not Not a big rock singer with golden
fingers no.
Not really.
I mean, I've got gold fingers,but they're pulling boxes.
Most of it because I havegolden gloves that I wear on my
fingers.

Speaker 3 (01:07:36):
Oh, so that's how you keep your hand so smooth.

Speaker 4 (01:07:40):
My hands aren't smooth.
Okay, there, anyways.

Speaker 3 (01:07:44):
So anyways, tom, tell our listeners listen to us
Spotify, iheartradio, amazonMusic, deezer FM, deepcast FM,
our Buzzsprout site and, mostimportantly, our website,
mtalpodcom.

(01:08:05):
Leave a message.
There's a little microphone onthe bottom right-hand side.
Leave a message.
There's a little microphone onthe bottom right-hand side.
Leave a message.
You'll be at Incognito.
We want to hear from you peoplewhat you would like to hear.
Not only will you be Incognito,but nobody will know who you
are.

Speaker 4 (01:08:24):
Yeah what he said.
Anyway, I would like to thankGod for the gift of gab always.

Speaker 3 (01:08:31):
Always, tom and everybody take care.
God bless and later.

Speaker 2 (01:08:37):
Well, that's it for another award-losing episode of
the MT Alternative Podcast,where Mike and Tom bravely
continue their mission toconvince the world that their
musical opinions from1970-whatever still matter.
Inspiring stuff, truly.
Next week, the boys take a deepdive okay, more like a cautious

(01:09:01):
wade into the magical year of1977.
Expect disco, dad rock and anunhealthy amount of sentimental
sighing about songs that haven'tbeen on the charts since Carter
was president.
Oh and yes, ugh, pip and Squeakwill also return to the show,
no doubt to bring their usualbrand of chaos, complaints and
rodent-level wisdom to theproceedings, because what this

(01:09:24):
podcast really needed was moreunhinged commentary from
creatures with no concept ofcopyright law.
Don't forget, you can catchthis trainwreck of audio
excellence on Deepcast FM,deezer FM, buzzsprout, iheart,
amazon Music, spotify Music and,of course, the one and only

(01:09:44):
mtultpodcom, which is somehowstill live Until next time.
I'm Presenter, daniel,reminding you that nostalgia
isn't what it used to be, andneither are Mike and Tom.
Goodbye.

Speaker 1 (01:09:57):
Thank you.