Welcome to
Meg's Mysteries
& Pryor Convictions...
...the only Shady's Place series in which the titles and artists
of the songs remain a mystery - unknown to you - until
the moment you click the picture to play them!
I'm your Hostess with the Mostess, Margaret "Meg" Pryor...
a Catholic schoolgirl coming of age in Philadelphia in the
early to mid 60s on the NBC TV series American Dreams.
Imagine my excitement when I made the cut and was picked to be
a regular studio dancer on Dick Clark's American Bandstand!
Sweet American Dreams are made of this, because my series offers
hidden gems from the soundtrack of your boomer youth and mine.
The mystery songs you will play were popular on American Bandstand,
on the radio and on your turntable from 1963 through 1966,
the span of years covered by my TV series.
As you view a slideshow of highlights of my life on American Dreams...
click on the designated images to play the 5 mystery songs from the period.
MEG'S MYSTERY SONG #1
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE
MEG'S MYSTERY SONG #2
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE
MEG'S MYSTERY SONG #3
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE
MEG'S MYSTERY SONG #4
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE
MEG'S MYSTERY SONG #5
CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE
I hope these pics from American Dreams and secret songs
from your Wonder Years brought back happy memories.
This is Meg Pryor saying so long for now and
inviting you to join me on the next edition of
Meg's Mysteries
& Pryor Convictions
exclusively here at Shady's Place Music & Memories!
I did know Lesley Gore.
ReplyDeleteCan you image the experience of being on American Bandstand back then?
Hi, Alex!
DeleteYou take the Early Bird title again this week, good buddy. Thanks for coming to Meg's Pryor's platter party!
I'm glad you know Lesley Gore, the pop songstress who did the first song, "She's A Fool." To me, that Bandstand clip from November, 1963, is significant for several reasons. First, the show was still based in Philadelphia, but relocated to LA a few months later. Second, less than two weeks after that episode aired, President Kennedy was assassinated. Third, the dancers were packed in like sardines on the set of the Philly show. The kids had much more space to dance on the set in LA. Fourth, the clip enables you to see the unique "bump dance" style used by the Bandstand regulars in Philly. As the couples danced, the guy and girl deliberately pulled together so that their bodies bumped and bounced off each other. They did it over and over again throughout the song. When the show moved to the West Coast, that unusual style of dancing did not go along with it.
Thanks again for coming and enjoy the rest of your week, good buddy Alex!
Looking at all the pictures, I think I see a young guy in the family picture that is now a Bluebloods star. The same Blueblood star that is often seen wearing the famous Baracuda jacket. "You Were On My Mind" was one of my favorites from that time period. I never got to watch much of Bandstand with work and other activities, but did like some of the dancers when I got to watch. Do they sell comic books like that anymore? Jerre
ReplyDeleteHi, Jerre!
DeleteThanks for dropping by again this week, good buddy!
Good eye, Jerre! Will Estes, the actor who played Meg's brother J.J. on American Dreams, plays NYPD officer "Jamie," Selleck's son, on Blue Bloods. I don't watch the latter series, but I watched every episode of American Dreams. I often screamed at the TV, because the series was riddled with inaccuracies, anachronisms and modern pop stars trying to portray and sing like boomer era greats. They rarely succeeded.
I'm glad you like "You Were On My Mind," a song penned in 1961 by Sylvia Fricker and originally recorded by her Canadian folk-country duo Ian & Sylvia. In 1965, the SF-based folk-rock group We Five scored a major hit with the song. Crispian St. Peters also covered the song, resulting in a #2 charting hit in the UK in 1966 and a top 40 hit in the U.S. in 1967. That nicely restored We Five clip makes it seem like the 1965 performance was taped yesterday.
I always get a kick out of those Bandstand couples bump dancing, a dance style that was apparently invented by the regulars on the Philly-based version of the show. Some people think that body bump looks silly, but I think it's "old school cool."
Lately, I have seen quite a few parody versions of vintage pulp romance illustrations cropping up in online picture galleries. The images are the same, but the captions were changed for the sake of humor. I know you can find back issues of vintage pulp romances for sale or auction by searching on eBay and other sites. I don't know if any new retro-style issues are being produced in the 2020s.
Thanks again for joining the fun for the second week in a row. John Ettline's birthday is up next if you'd like to attend his party which starts on the 12th. In the meantime, have a great week, good buddy Jerre!
I knew three out of five songs this time! I think my favorite is the Dusty Springfield. ~Kelly (and Pat)
ReplyDeleteHi, Kelly & Pat!
DeleteYou take the bronze this week, dear friend(s)! Thanks for coming over on day one to experience what can only be called a revolutionary new concept in music blogging - a series in which the songs remain a mystery, a well kept secret, until the moment you click on the comic illustrations to play them. By the way, the pulp romance covers were selected on the basis of how well they relate to the title or theme of the songs concealed behind them. The first illustration, which includes the title "Blind To Her Game," goes along with "She's A Fool" and the song's lyrics "She has his love but treats him cruel." Illustration #2 relates to the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me," etc.
Yessum, a couple of weeks ago, as you recall, we were discussing Dionne Warwick's original recording of "Wishin' And Hopin'." In today's post, we get to hear Dusty's hit cover.
Thanks again for swinging by, dear friend Kelly, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Woof, woooof. Harley says hi and I gave him a ear scratch from you. Love looking at the American Bandstand images and how they were so close to each other here. I enjoyed each song including the lady in the background of orange. I know almost all the songs especially the last one. Tgat is one of my favourites
ReplyDeleteHi, Birgit, and WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! to my bow-wow buddy Harley!
DeleteThanks for being a Same Day Sally, dear friend! You are the second person to single out the 1965 hit cover by We Five, the folk-rock group from San Francisco. I remember running out to buy that 45 at the Mailman's Department Store near me when the song started playing on my local top 40 station.
Thanks again for your prompt visit and comment and for scratching Harley's ear for me. Please give him a dead possum as a treat. :) Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend BB. I'll see you tamale at the BBC!
Hi Shady! This Boomer knew all the songs and enjoyed the dance clips. I watched Bandstand more after it was in LA since I was only a preteen when it was on in the early 60's. I loved the We Five song and looked them up and I guess Beverly Bivens is the only one still living. When I watched that clip I said, "Hey, I had that hairdo back in the day!" Of course all the songs were really good and brought back memories and as I've said before, I can sing along, know all the lyrics from back then but can't remember where I've left my phone! Have a good rest of the week Shady!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteThanks for coming over to recall the glory years of American Bandstand through the eyes and ears of Meg Pryor on the NBC series American Dreams!
I suspected these songs would all be familiar to you. You can count on Meg to bring you more great hits like these in her series, including songs by your favorites, Paul Revere And the Raiders. In other words, there will not be many seldom heard, long forgotten rarities like you typically find in Saved By The Dell and other series.
Thanks for weighing in on the We Five group. They are getting the lion's share of attention and admiration so far. Thank you also for doing some research and letting all of us know that lead singer Beverly is still alive. It's sad that she's the only surviving member of the group, because they all looked really young in that mid 60s performance video. I just looked her up myself and discovered that she will be age 77 next month and that she went to high school with actress Diane Keaton. Yessum, now that you mentioned it, Bev's hair does look like the style you wore as a teenager, based on pics you've posted from the period.
Ain't it the truth, though? Folks like us can recall trivial details from 60 years ago including song lyrics, but would lose our noggins if they weren't screwed on. I am still searching for an Ace comb I misplaced in 1975. Can you check the Creepy Woods for me? :)
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend YaYa. Stay safe and well and enjoy the rest of your week in Ohio!
Hi Shady,
ReplyDeleteWow! I love this series and I love how you kept us in suspense. Lesley Gore, The Four Seasons, Wishing and Hoping, my favourite songs and artists. You got me grooving tonight.
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteThanks for popping right over, dear friend!
Yessum, Meg Pryor's your neighbor girl just down the road in Philadelphia. Ever meet up with her in the ax throwing tavern on in the mosh pit at a metal concert? :)
Meg's series will focus on hits of the early and mid 60s, the years covered by her series American Dreams. Did you watch that NBC-TV show in your youth? So therefore, you can count on Meg to present well known songs and artists, not obscurities. I'm sure your dad will find many that he remembers and likes in this series, and you will, too.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend JM!
Hi Shady,
DeleteI might have and I might have became an acquaintance at one point!
I think I remember that show. This weekend I'll show my dad this post and see what he remembers.
Have a great weekend, dear friend.
AOK, JM. Let me know what your dad says. These are all major hit songs that he should remember well.
DeleteWell, you played all old favorites of mine. I loved hearing them again. I was a big fan of Lesley Gore. I guess my favorite song though is, "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Love Me." What a romantic song! Mel Carter's voice is beautiful. These songs did take me back when music was my life. Music is where I found the most happiness during my teens. Adults didn't understand what I was going through, but song writers did. It helped to feel understood by someone.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know, until I read your earlier comment that there were so many covers of, "Wishin' and Hopin'". I can understand why, it is a great song. Well, I'm going to bed early tonight, gotta go. Thanks for the memories and the fun.
Hi, Belle!
DeleteI'm very happy to see you, dear friend! Thanks for being on hand for the launch of a new Shady's Place series hosted by Meg, the star of American Dreams. Did you happen to watch that show when it was airing from 2002 to 2005?
Like you, I love Lesley Gore songs, and was thrilled to find this rare clip of the teenage couples "body-bumping" to "She's A Fool" on a November, 1963, episode of American Bandstand. As I mentioned in another reply, I was often upset watching the above mentioned American Dreams series because there were so many "goofs," as IMDB calls them. The series got the clothing and hairstyles right, and I watched because I wanted to show support for a series devoted to our boomer wonder years, but the producers/writers paid little or no attention to the timeline. Dreams was set in Philadelphia and revolved around Meg and her girlfriend dancing on Bandstand. History tells us that Bandstand packed up and left town for Los Angeles early in 1964, yet Meg and the gang were still dancing on Bandstand in Philly in episodes of the series set in 1965 and 1966. Some of the songs you hear in the soundtrack were not yet released at the time. Another important thing I noticed is that the style of dancing did not match that of the Philadelphia Bandstand dancers. As you see over and over again in vintage clips like this one showing them dancing to the Lesley Gore song, the kids held each other as they danced to fast songs. They pulled together and bumped bodies as I have been discussing. You never saw that style on American Dreams. As I recall, and as these pictures from the show reveal, the kids are shown dancing separated, a style indicative of the West Coast studio dancers, not the East Coast gang.
I don't think I ever posted "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" before. When I came upon that brilliantly remastered version on YouTube, I couldn't resist using it in volume one of this series.
Like you, music was my life, my constant companion, the soundtrack of my teenage youth. Yessum, the song lyrics spoke to us directly. We were lucky to have experienced as teenagers all those wonderful songs for the first time as they were released - songs written for and about young people and performed, in many cases, by young artists.
Yessum, Dionne Warwick was the first to record "Wishin' And Hopin," but the song came and went almost unnoticed released on the B side of a poor selling single. Dusty Springfield's British Invasion cover was the one that made the song famous.
Thanks again for your kind visit and thoughtful comment, dear friend Belle. I hope you are well and in good spirits. Enjoy the rest of your week and come back and see me again soon here at Shady's Place!
Tom,
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by this morning to read my latest headline mews. Somewhere in the back of my memories I remember the old romantic comics like the images you shared but I can't recall who on earth owned them. It wasn't me. My folks had little extra to spend it on these sorts of things. :) This series American Dreams I think I would enjoy but I can't find it available for streaming (at no cost) on the services we subscribe to. The Four Seasons I heard frequently when I was a little girl and I remember "Let's Hang On". Mel Carter has a smooth voice but I think "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" that I know was a cover...in fact I think it was a female singer I hear inside my head. What a dreamy era! Fantastic post and music. Thanks for breathing a bit of sunshine into my morning with these golden songs from yesterday. Have a wonderful Wednesday, my friend!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming over, dear friend, and welcome to the first post in my new series based on Bandstander Meg Pryor and her TV show American Dreams!
Thanks for telling me that you remember seeing vintage romance comics like the ones on display here. If I recall correctly, my late cousin Paula had mags like these scattered around her room. I remember seeing them when my family visited hers and she took me to her room to play records.
Yessum, I've been searching for reruns of American Dreams on all the channels I subscribe to. So far, for some reason, the series is not available for streaming online, and only season 1 is available for purchase thru Amazon. I don't know what they're waiting for!
You are the first friend to discuss The 4 Seasons song in this post. "Let's Hang On" has special significance to me because it emerged as a hot hit in October of 1965 and reached #1 around mid December. It was during that same time period that I became a regular at the Shady Dell, marking the beginning of the most exciting period of my life. Whenever I hear "Let's Hang On," my thoughts turn to that point in my life when so many Dell adventures were about to unfold.
Cincinnati soul crooner Mel Carter will soon be 84 years old! His big hit "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me" is a cover of a song originally recorded in 1952 by Karen Chandler. Gloria Estefan released a cover at the end of 1994, but it was not released as a single in the U.S., only in Europe and Australia, so it seems unlikely that is the version you are hearing in your noggin. Connie Francis released a version on a 1959 album and Shirley Bassey on a 1969 album. If none of those covers rings a bell, then I don't know what to tell you. You'll need to report back to me if and when you remember "whodunit." Was it in the Glee soundtrack perhaps?
I'm excited that you appreciate the concept and the tuneage of this new series. I love knowing that you leave Shady's Place with a smile on your face and a song playing in your head. Thanks again for your kind visit and wonderful comment, dear friend Cathy. You and I have an Art Date With Rain tamale and I'll be there!
Tom,
DeleteThanks for giving me some female artists who covered "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me". The closest to the way I remember this song is the original by Karen Chandler. If this is the one then it must have been from a movie but I don't think that's it. I like Gloria Estefan's cover - very nice. I might like it best of any of the female renditions I sampled this morning. This could make for a good BOTB, don't you think? I think I'm going to add this to my list of future possibilities. :)
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteI'm smiling to see you again, dear friend!
I think you've come up with a great idea, having various artists competing with their versions of "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me." I did some additional research for you. If you are only including female artists, then I should add another recording that I found. Wiki sez: << Greek singer Nana Mouskouri released a version of the song produced by Quincy Jones in 1962. >> If you are accepting duos in the battle, a version was released by Dick And Dee Dee on their 1966 album Songs We've Sung on Shindig, and the Portland, Oregon, duo She and Him, the "She" being actress Zooey Deschanel, performed the song on their 2013 album. If you are considering vocal groups, then listen to the version by Sonny Til and The Orioles released in 1953. If male artists are in the running in your BOTB concept, then you should know that Bobby Vinton did a cover on his 1977 album The Name Is Love and his single brushed the top 40 on the Easy Listening chart. Finally, if you'd like to evaluate an instrumental version, check the one by Nelson Riddle on his 1961 album Love Tide. Maybe if you listen to all of the above versions along with the ones I already mentioned, you could whittle the number down to the best 3 for your battle. It always pleases me when my content becomes the inspiration for your posts.
Thanks again for swinging by, dear friend Cathy! :) :) :)
I haven't watched American Dreams, I haven't seen it on any of the services we have for TV watching. And those songs were all new to me. Have a great rest of your week.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary!
DeleteThanks for coming over, dear friend! Hooray... your comment was published immediately... but will the gremlins snatch it at some point? We'll have to see. :)
American Dreams aired on NBC in the early to mid 2000s, so it's been quite a while. The series turned Guiding Light alumnus Brittany Snow into a star, and she's had a pretty good career ever since. Brittany is from my neck of the woods - Tampa, Florida. Hard to believe she is now age 36! American Dreams is not yet available for streaming. Maybe someday. The songs were all substantial hits of the mid 60s and worth knowing.
Thanks again for your visit and comment, dear friend Mary, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Scroll up. I know Leslie Gore, but I don't think I've heard that particular song before. Those Bandstand dancers seem a bit more rambunctious or something than what you've shown in the past from that show in that era. Scroll up. The Mel Carter song--which I am familiar with--was great. There should be a song category called Operatic R&B, because that would include this song and others like "Stand by Me", "Lean on Me" and "When a Man Loves a Woman". Scroll up. I think Dusty Springfield may have popularized the granny dress. RIP Burt Bacharach, which can't be said too often. Scroll up. Um...Where's the Four Seasons? I know I saw them somewhere. Must have scrolled too far up...OK, found them. Great song, but at one point in that video I see them vs the Beatles. Did a neck-to-neck-competition REALLY exist between the two groups? If so, show me that Four Seasons Ed Sullivan footage. I want to see the girls in the audience bobbing their heads. Scroll up. Familiar with "You Were on My Mind" but could never remember who did the song. Did you know that when you watch these videos for a second time, the commercials preceding them are different?
ReplyDeleteThat's all I got. Scroll down.
Hi, Kirk!
DeleteWelcome in, good buddy! Thanks for joining the fun as together, hand-in-hand, we work to solve Meg's Musical Mysteries.
Lesley Gore's single "She's A Fool" was one of her biggest hits. The record was at its zenith in the top 5 on the pop chart the week President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
Thanks for letting me know how much you like Mel Carter's signature song, brought to you in super clean remastered HQ sound.
I agree. Now that I think about it, Dusty Springfield was often seen wearing a granny dress, especially as the years rolled on. In her early TV appearances in 1963 and 1964, she dressed the way you'd expect a Brit dish to look.
I never heard of a rivalry between the Beatles and 4 Seasons. Clearly, that fanzine was simply trying to create one to sell out the issue. Younger readers like you often report that they remember a song but cannot identify the artist. Such was the case with We Five.
I'm sorry you found it necessary to scroll up and down so much. I set up the post so that the song videos open in a new box. Therefore, from now on, try pausing each song when you are finished listening to it without closing the box. That way, all five songs will appear at the top of your screen in a row complete with titles and artists for quick and easy reference and review. I tried it just now and it works perfectly. That way, if there are commercials preceding any of the songs, you only need to sit through them once.
May I assume that you never watched American Dreams? I still haven't found anyone who did. That surprises me, since the storyline of the NBC series revolved around Dick Clark's wildly popular American Bandstand.
If you return to answer the above question, please answer this follow-up question and use a separate comment form to help run up my total:
Which color do you like best - red, blue or purple?
Apart from getting carpal tunnel from scrolling, you seem to have enjoyed the launch of this new series. As a program note, I'll let you know that my next post starts Sunday morning. It's a birthday celebration for a Shady Dell VIP and you are invited to attend. Thanks again for dropping in and enjoy the rest of your week, good buddy Kirk!
Don't take my "scroll ups" too seriously. I was just trying to make my comment more interesting.
DeleteNever seen American Dreams or even heard of it. Decades ago there was a very short-lived hour drama titled American Dream that I watched mainly because it featured Hans Conried as comedy relief.
Do not have a favorite color.
Hi again, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for returning during your busy work week, good buddy!
The sluggish ratings, widespread criticism and relatively early cancellation of the TV series American Dreams after three seasons and 61 episodes, served as a wake-up call to programming chiefs at NBC. The series was loaded with potential, but instead was an insult to boomers like me who were teenagers in the 60s. The show featured performances by 21st century music artists appearing as 60s icons including Lesley Gore, Marvin Gaye, Dionne Warwick, Dusty Springfield, Jackie Wilson, Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Angels and Martha And The Vandellas. The strategy simply didn't work. The modern artists didn't resemble the originals, didn't sound like them or act like them. Watching those bogus performances triggered anger rather than pleasure in boomers like me.
Now you've got me stumped, because I don't remember "Uncle Tonoose" in a series called American Dream. I just looked it up, found that it only aired for a month-and-a-half in 1981, a total of five episodes of the seven produced. I vaguely recall main cast actress Karen Carlson.
Thanks again, good buddy Kirk. Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend!