HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Salvaged and Restored -
The Shady Dell
Record Collection!
Vol. 11: Long Lost Dell Songs
of Fall 1958 and Winter 1959
BEWARE! NOTHING CAN
PREPARE YOU FOR...
JUKEBOX GIANTS
THAT TIME FORGOT!
Hello, friends! Dell Rat Tom
welcoming you to volume 11
of my exclusive 36-part
Shady's Place series
SAVED
BY THE
DELL
Today, you will travel
back to the fall of
1958
and the winter of
1959
and find yourself
standing before
the Dell jukebox.
Those dimes
and quarters
you brought
along are
burning
a hole
in your
pocket...
so why not
feed them
to the record
machine and
play some
of the great
Dell songs
of late 1958
and early '59?
This series was made possible by Jim Sieling, my good friend
in York, and the husband of John Ettline's niece Nancy.
Jim Sieling
(faithful friend of The Dell)
As you recall, Jim acquired the Dell's Seeburg jukebox (below)
and many of the records that played on it through the decades.
Keep in mind that the Dell had two jukeboxes - one in Helen's
snack bar up at the house, the other down in "The Barn" -
the dance hall John had built onto the barn and garage.
When Jim took possession of the Dell's record collection,
he discovered, to his dismay and ours, that many of
the discs had been improperly handled and stored.
Simply put - they were filthy.
Mice (Dell rats?) had made a home among the records, and at least
one snake (a Violet Hill viper?) had slithered in looking for a meal.
Jim undertook the mammoth job of cleaning, organizing and cataloging
the records, then sent me the finished alphabetical list. There are 6,065
records on Jim's list including Christmas records, 12,130 songs in all!
My series brings you the 180 best Dell jukebox songs from 1955
through 1963, a period long before I arrived on the scene.
This series is dedicated to
the memory of Nancy Sieling.
Nancy Sieling
(faithful friend of The Dell)
Nancy, who was John Ettline's niece and Jim's wife, passed away in 2020.
Over the years, Nancy's generous contributions of pictures, information
and Shady Dell memorabilia greatly enhanced the quality of both of my
Dell-themed blogs. We have Nancy to thank for rescuing many of the
Dell's priceless platters when they were art risk of being thrown into
a trash dumpster and destroyed, hence the name of my series...
SAVED BY THE BELL DELL
Of course, we also have Jim to thank for tackling the enormous
task of cleaning, organizing and cataloging these 6,065 records!
Okay, it's time to use your imagination. Pretend that you are
at the Dell looking at the musical menu on the jukebox.
Scroll down and play the next 5 Dell songs.
BEWARE AND BEHOLD...
LISTEN AND LEARN...
AS WE EXPERIENCE...
JUKEBOX GIANTS
THAT TIME FORGOT!
The records and pictures are arranged in chronological
order, allowing you to trace the evolution of the
"Shady Dell Sound" and clothing styles
month by month through the years.
You know the drill.
ENJOY THE VINTAGE FASHION
PARADE AND FANZINES.
CLICK ON PICTURES OF
RECORDS TO PLAY SONGS.
But first, a word from our sponsor:
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1958
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 51
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 52
DECEMBER 1958 - JANUARY 1959
JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1959
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 53
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 54
FEBRUARY - MARCH 1959
SAVED BY THE DELL
DELL SONG 55
Once again I thank our late, great friend of the Dell,
Nancy Sieling, and her husband Jim, for doing the
good work of preserving the Shady Dell legacy for
future generations. We owe you a debt of gratitude.
Stick around. You'll hear more long lost songs
of the Shady Dell... the moldy oldies, dusty discs,
colossal fossils and rusty relics we like to call...
JUKEBOX GIANTS
THAT TIME FORGOT!
coming up on the next exciting edition of...
SAVED BY THE BELL DELL
Friend, can you spare 4 more minutes? If so, I urge you
to watch this beautifully produced video and ponder
its important and timely message. Thank you.
Once again, happy holidays!
Good morning, Tom! I hope you and Mrs. Shady are doing well. I was just thinking about you and your first Christmas in colder climates. I hope the chill isn't too much for you. It's been chilly here. A few days ago, I said to DH, "I can't wait for spring!" and it wasn't even winter yet. Oh mercy, me!
ReplyDeleteI love the vintage ads, fashions, commercials, and other graphics displayed in this post. You rolled together a number of holidays together which was quite fun. The only oldie I knew in your set is "16 Candles" which won't come as a surprise. It's probably the most well known.
Sending you and your wife warm wishes for Christmas filled with much love and happiness! May God bless you both in the coming new year!!
Hi, Cathy!
DeleteThanks for coming, dear friend! Looks like I was busy commenting on your blog while you were here commenting on mine. I'm so glad you could make it here for my last post of 2023, Part 11 of my epic series Saved By The Dell.
As I mentioned on your blog a while ago, I am loving the colder weather, but somewhat disappointed that we have had only one day of snow so far. I am hoping for a few good old fashioned winter storms with several inches on the ground. I yearn to see the landscape turned into a winter wonderland as it used to be so often when I lived up north in my youth. If you are already yearning for spring, you'll have to be patient, this being the first day of winter! :)
Yessum, the timeline of this post takes us through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, 1958, New Year 1959 and the early months of that year. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the styles and the Shady Dell oldies of the period.
Thank you very much for your kind visit and comment, dear friend Cathy. I wish you and yours a safe, restful and abundantly blessed holiday, and I will see you again when I return to blogging next year!
Yikes, I forgot to swing back over to wish you the very best in this brand new year. I hope you have wonderful health and happiness throughout 2024. Hopefully, you'll get a few snowfalls that you've only dreamed about for years. It appears some might get you in the next few days, too. :)
DeleteThanks, Cathy! I hope your year is off to a great start and will continue so. That last storm system let us down. We had lots of rain and high winds, but no snow. We might get our first significant snowfall next Tuesday. I've got my fingers crossed. :)
DeleteI'll be returning to the blog scene next Thursday, January 18, and will stop over and see you then.
Blessings to you and your family, dear friend Cathy!
Hi Shady, Sure like all the old magazine covers and the 59 Chevy tail lights. I don't remember the Clickettes song, but I have seen Johnny Maestro multiple times in person as a Crest, Brooklyn Bridge and later on his own at Doo Wop shows. Have a good holiday and don't get run over by a reindeer. Jerre
ReplyDeleteHi, Jerre!
DeleteThanks for coming over in the days leading up to Christmas, good buddy! I'm happy to have you here to experience Part 11 of our mega-series Saved By The Dell.
Yes, how about that rare and nicely restored commercial for the all-new '59 Chevy starring Pat Boone and Dinosaur (Dinah Shore)? As I watched that spot, I think I caught "Mr. Clean" - straight arrow Pat - engaging in some premarital hand-holding. Nix nix, Pat!
I think this volume contains more recognizable hits than most. I knew you'd be familiar with the two Crest sides, and I am somewhat surprised that you didn't know the record by The Clickettes. There are vids on YouTube showing members of the girl group performing the song live in recent years.
Thanks for the holiday well wishes and have yourself a very merry Christmas, good buddy Jerre. I'll see you next year when Screech and the gang will welcome you back in for more exciting volumes of our series Saved By The Dell!
Merry Christmas and almost Happy New Year Shady! I saw you had commented on my blog and even before I've read it I rushed over to read what you've shared today! Happy first day of Winter also. It's been a wintery time here but warm air coming will make a no snow Christmas at the Pines. I thought I wouldn't know any of the songs but "16 Candles" saved the day! All those fashions and I was only 6 when they were around so I couldn't wear any. I do remember Family Circle magazine that Mom always got. I see in '59 my 6th birthday was on a Saturday. Hmm...I think that might have been the year I got a Chatty Cathy doll. I wonder why they thought it was appropriate for me? Yes, I was a constant chatter bug back then and Jack would say I need another doll now! I still have old Chatty Cathy but she doesn't speak anymore. I hope that's not my future! Ha! Are you staying warm in your new home? I hope a little snow will fly your way soon and you can make some angels or a snowman! I'm almost ready for Christmas and will post our gathering and soon we'll be closing out '23. This year has flown! So have a safe and healthy holiday with Mrs. Shady and family and friends. P.S..love that Chevy! Wow! Plus all the cigarette commercials are funny to see in this day and age. Take Care now!
ReplyDeleteHi, YaYa!
DeleteI'm very happy to see you, dear friend! Thanks for racing over to claim the bronze medal as I present my final post of 2023, Part 11 of my Saved series.
Yessum, winter has sprung but, at least in my neck of the woods, the weatherman is not going to cooperate and give us a white Christmas. The daytime high temp is forecast to climb above 50 that day. We were hoping to use our propane fireplace when our guests come for Christmas dinner, but it might be too warm to do so. Mrs. Shady and I have a completely different concept of "warm" now that we are northerners once again. We keep the thermostat set 4 to 6 degrees cooler in winter than we did in Florida. So, it really didn't take very long for us to adjust to the cooler climate. With the sun staying low in the sky these days, the rays pour through the bank of windows on the south side of the house and keep it warm. As soon as the sun goes down, the indoor temp drops quickly, but the guests are not expected to be here after dark. Those guests include Mrs. Shady's daughter and family including our 9 year old grandson and 26 year old granddaughter who is coming down from NYC.
I'm pleased that you enjoyed the tuneage and that you were already familiar with the doo-wop classic "16 Candles" by the late, great Johnny Maestro and his group The Crests. In this set of five, it's probably going to be the song most readers know best.
Thanks for sharing that your dear mother used to read Family Circle. I can't picture you as a "Chatty Cathy (Kathy)" because I heard your soft, lovely voice on that video clip you posted a couple of years ago and got the impression that you are more of a quiet person. I'll bet your old CC doll would still fetch a pretty penny, even tho it can no longer speak.
Yessum, crooner Pat Boone and pop songbird Dinah Shore are all set to see the U.S.A. in their brand new Chevrolet. I was delighted to find that vintage TV commercial among my YouTube recommendations. Yessum, Gunsmoke's Matt Dillon and Miss Kitty smoke L&M cigarettes, so they must be good and, more importantly, good for you! :)
Yessum, I am looking forward to a few good snowstorms this winter and will be highly disappointed if we don't get any. I agree that the year has flown. I wish you and your family much joy for Christmas and many blessings in the coming year. You are a wonderful friend, YaYa. Thanks again for joining the fun and I'll see you in 2024!
I think a month ago I described a song you played as being "one of the greatest doo wop songs of all time. Well, it's a good thing I qualified that with a "one of" because "Sixteen Candles" is also one of the greatest doo wop songs of all time. I know Dinah Shore had one of the first color TV shows, and was sponsored by Chevrolet in an era in which the commercial was also part of the show you were watching. I'm guessing Pat Boone was the guest star that week. Maybe it was in his contract to do the commercial with Dinah when she could have handled it well enough on her own. Funny slasher film parody. Did Tommy Edwards also write the lyrics to "Please Love Me Forever"? I think he made clever use of the old-time children's bedtime prayer (I use to say it as a kid and then have a heckuva time falling asleep because I was so worried that I was going to die before I wake!)
ReplyDeleteHi, Kirk!
DeleteThanks for hustling over to take 4th in the race to my place, good buddy!
Yes indeed, you won't get any argument about "16 Candles" from me or my buddy Jerre (above) who is a huge Johnny Maestro fan. The recording is a doo-wop standard and one of the most recognizable songs of the entire 50s decade.
From 1951 to 1957, my folks and I watched The Dinah Shore Show, a music variety program featuring an array of guest stars. The highlight of each episode came at the end when Dinah belted her sponsor's catchy jingle, "See the U.S.A. in your Chevrolet."
The slasher parody might appear funny at first, but if you listen to the lyrics and follow the video throughout, you'll notice that it carries a very serious message about how we can reinvent ourselves, change our behaviors and treat our fellow human beings with greater courtesy and respect. It also urges us to put an end to bullying and marginalizing various groups of people. As Otis Redding and Three Dog Night sang, "Try A Little Tenderness." That timely video by The Slashstreet Boys (aka The Merkins) was released just a few days ago in time for the holidays.
Wiki sez the sweet love ballad "Please Love Me Forever," first waxed by Tommy Edwards, was penned by John Malone and Ollie Blanchard. I am actually more familiar with the version released in 1961 by Cathy Jean And The Roommates because it peaked much higher on the pop chart, approaching the top 10. In 1967, Bobby Vinton had the most successful version of the song, reaching the top 5.
I had the same worry every time I recited that prayer as a boy. I slept with one eye open in case The Reaper came to call.
Thanks again for checking out my final post of 2023. Take care, have a safe and happy holiday, and I will catch up with you next month when I resurface for another three-day blogging stint. Take care, good buddy Kirk!
Thanks for visiting. I hope you and yours have a nice Christmas. I'm just getting over a sprained ankle and then I got the stomach flu yesterday. It's been a fun month. lol
ReplyDeleteI think I like your picture of the ultra colorful dinosaurs instead of the grey that everyone thinks they were.
I remember the individual boxes of cereal the treat pak as it were. I would still eat cereal if I were allowed to. lol
I had to do a double take of the wiener dog on a roller skate. That's pretty funny. But that dogs expressions in the different posters made me laugh.
Unfortunately I didn't know any of the songs but that last video was fun. lol
Hi, Mary!
DeleteThanks for coming, dear friend! Wouldn't you know it - the blog gremlins swiped your comment on my final post of the year! I just now found it and glad I did.
Oh NO! I'm sorry that you sprained your ankle recently and came down with the stomach flu on top of it. The holidays are the worst time to be ailing and I feel very badly for you. Please get well soon, Mary. There's still time for you to recover before the big day.
I'm happy that you appreciate the multicolored dinosaurs depicted in these artist renderings. I love color, and routinely boost the color saturation level on images before embedding them in my posts.
Yes, how about those single serving size boxes of cereal? I remember them well. My appetite was such that one tiny box wasn't enough. I usually needed to open a second box or even a third. Yessum, in the series of magazines entitled Calling All Girls, the same blonde girl and the same wiener dog appear month after month for years. Those covers will take us through much of this series, so stay tuned for more cute poses by that girl and her Dachshund.
I'm pleased that you watched the final video. The gist of it is that even if you have behaved like a "monster" in the past, there is always time to change your approach, apologize, forgive, find common ground and turn perceived enemies into friends. Be kind to people, even those with whom you have struggled in the past. Try "killing with kindness." Step in and stop a bully in his tracks. Take a stand for what's right, but be flexible in your thinking, not rigid. Try to see the situation from the other guy's POV. Listen to others. Invite everyone to the party. When you are laughing, singing, dancing and having fun together, you can forget about your differences and maybe they won't seem as insurmountable from then on. If we all start doing these things, imagine the positive strides that we as a society could take. I hope that Merkins video goes viral and touches many a heart this holiday season.
Thank you again for showing up for me as I finish my blogging for the year. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you, your daughter and my good buddy Falcor, dear friend Mary!
As always, I loved seeing all these advertisements and magazine covers. Love the Halloween skeleton bodysuit! I'm afraid I failed on recognizing songs this time, only knowing Sixteen Candles (a song everyone should know!!).
ReplyDeleteI hope you and Mrs. Shady have a wonderful holiday season in your cold, snowy new hometown and I look forward to seeing you again in the coming new year!
Hi, Kelly!
DeleteWelcome back to Shady's Place, dear friend! I'm delighted that you and my buddy Pat could drop by for my last post of the year.
I know you are interested in dinosaurs. This volume of Saved is the only one that offers a dinosaur AND a Dinah Shore!!! :)
Thanks for singling out a specific mag cover that caught your eye this time. Those Calling All Girls comics featuring the girl and her wiener dog on the cover are well represented on the internet. The issues fit right into the timeline as we progress through the years covered in this long series.
Yessum, "16 Candles" is the biggie of the bunch, a song most people, especially boomers, should know.
Thanks so much for the warm wishes for a wonderful holiday in the cold and snow. So far, we've had the cold up here, but very little snow. I hope that changes now that winter is officially upon us. I wish you, Pat, Grady, Fred and all your bowwow buddies a safe and happy holiday, and I too look forward to reconnecting in January and throughout the coming year. Blessings to you and yours, dear friend Kelly!
It's so nice to see you before Christmas and listen to these oldies but goodies. I love the commercial with Dinah Shore and squeaky clean Pat Boone show us the latest in cars. I will take that first car..lol. my mom's first car here was a 1954 Chev Bel Air. She was living in Toronto at the time. .
ReplyDeleteThe Gunsmoke cigarette ad seems to fit perfectly. I love these fashions and will take that blue suit. I will skip the Christmas tree hat though.
The first 4 songs just confirms what velvety voices these guys had. The Clickettes have strong voices and you wonder why they didn't make it bigger.
It was so lovely to listen to all of these.
By the way, I like that Ingrid Bergman talks in McCall's since she was now forgiven and allowed back in. Really!? OK, she had an affair with Russell initially and had a child out of wedlock with him. She was still married and she left her older daughter to Be with Roberto but that's because her soon to be ex would not allow her to see her own child. She was vilified by the press, the public and the government calling her a source of evil..hahaaaa. she was even condemned by the Pope. Ughh..so sad.
On a nicer note, if you go to my posting from last Wed. I had placed my 3 favourite Christmas albums and, if you want to have a listen, you can.
Hi, Birgit!
DeleteWelcome, welcome, welcome, dear friend! I'm tickled that you made time to come by in the middle of your work week. Thank you so very much!
How about those neon colored Chevys for 1959? That commercial reminds us that the new 1959 model year of automobiles started in the fall of 1958. It was the same every year, with sales and promotion starting plenty early so that folks would be enticed to buy cars before they spent all their money on Christmas presents. The TV spot shows a young Pat Boone before he got himself "In A Metal Mood," and released a disastrous album of heavy metal covers. Thanks for letting me know that your mom drove a '54 Chevy Bel-Air. I vividly recall the night my dad and brother came home in our brand new family car - a 1955 Chevy 4-door sedan with a two-tone, white over yellow paint job. We were all so excited, and my brother ended up drag racing in that car on the streets of York, PA.
Yessum, "Mr. Dillon" (as Chester called him) urges you to smoke L&M cigarettes. Miss Kitty puffs the same brand, and look how attractive and popular they both are. Case closed - smoking's a great idea!
Thanks for mentioning The Clickettes, a doo-wop R&B girl group from NYC. They started out as The Bouquets but their manager, Johnnie Louise Richardson of the famed R&B duo Johnnie & Joe, changed their name to The Clickettes., They recorded some excellent, soulful sides but never achieved the same success as The Shirelles, The Bobbettes or The Chantels.
Thanks for providing the True Hollywood Story about Ingrid Bergman. You missed your calling. You could have found success as a gossip columnist. :) Yessum, I will click back to last Wednesday's post at the BBC and have a listen. If you don't mind, I will do that tamale morning when I am fresh. Believe it or not, I've been blogging since 4:45 this morning w/o much of a break and I'm getting very tired.
Thank you again for being here for my final post of 2023. I know you've had your share of tough going this past year, and my wish is that you can put all that behind you and have a safe, happy, healthy and prosperous year ahead. Many blessings to you and my good buddy Harley, dear friend BB!
Some cool retro ads. Back when they weren't afraid to show stuff that's not PC.
ReplyDeleteShady, hope you have an awesome and blessed Christmas!
Hi, Alex!
DeleteThanks for catching my last post of the year, good buddy! (No New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady this year, due to my reduced presence on the blog circuit.)
I'm happy that you appreciated the vintage ads from 1958 and early 1959, reflecting an age of innocence when we believed what advertisers told us about their products and services. Booze and cigarettes were good for you - recommended by Hollywood stars, singers, Western heroes and athletes. Large, gas-guzzling cars out of Detroit were kings of the road. No one worried about the harmful effects of fossil fuels. The climate change crisis was still light years away, or so we thought. Oh, to be young and ignorant again! :)
Hey, thank you very much for dropping in for a visit as 2023 draws to a close. I also thank you very much for your ongoing friendship and support. Happy holidays, good buddy Alex. I wish you and your family all the best in the coming year!
Hi! Made it! First, I want to say that I doubt you'd ever see two big stars like Pat and Dinah sharing an ad like that now. The songs I didn't know were great (I did know 16 Candles, of course) and really the Little Anthony tune stuck in my head- until the Monster song. That was everything you described, with a side of being funny while not wanting to laugh! I am currently cleaning up the mess from the party- it will be up same time tomorrow, if'n you wanna see how bad it got. At least your posts keep a level of decorum! Happy Christmas again, my friend!
ReplyDeleteHi, Chris!
DeleteThanks for coming back over, good buddy! Sorry I'm late getting to your comment., The blog gremlins grabbed it and hid it in my spam folder. I just now found it.
Yes, good buddy. Pat and Dinah were at the peak of their popularity when they collaborated on that long Chevrolet commercial. The IMDB reveals that Pat appeared on six episodes of The Dinah Shore Chevy Show between 1957 and 1959. I'm thinking that Chevy TV spot they did together was filmed in 1958 and aired during the fall of that year to coincide with the unveiling of the new 1959 model fleet.
I'm pleased that you remember "16 Candles" and that the Little Anthony song appealed to you. "Two People In The World" is known to Dell rats as "Helen's Song" because it played so often on the jukebox in the snack bar where Dell co-owner Helen Ettline worked nightly. "Two People" is the B side of "Tears On My Pillow," the high charting Imperials single that was in the lineup of Volume 10.
Yes, there is always humor in Merkins' monster videos, but this one garnered a tremendous outpouring of favorable comments by people who appreciate its serious and timely message. I'm sure you remember the "Stop The Madness" initiative endorsed by President Ronald Reagan addressing drug abuse, addiction, alcoholism and other social issues that plagued the general public in the 1980s. We need to Stop The Madness now, in the 2020s, the madness that is tearing apart our country. If we are serious about it and make a genuine effort, an earnest try, we can turn things around in this country and all over the world. It would make a powerful new year resolution for all of us to adopt.
Thank you again for stopping by and for spreading holiday cheer. Please give my regards to Laurie, give Misty a big hug and a biscuit for me, and enjoy the remaining days of the holiday season. All the best to you and yours in 2024, good buddy Chris!
Shady, where do you get all these beauties? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever used a jukebox. And I do miss the landline days when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lux!
DeleteI'm very happy to see your smiling face, dear friend! Thanks for taking a look and a listen as I present my final post of 2023, wrapping up the year with another volume of a series I know you like - Saved By The Dell.
It required considerable time and effort to gather the songs and images for this 36-part series. Songs on Jim's list that I didn't know needed to be "vetted" - auditioned on YouTube to make sure they were "Dellworthy." I also needed to search at length for the highest quality sound for each. Searching for pictures was a multilayered process. I entered search terms on Google that included the names of popular magazines and the exact months and years covered in each post. For example "Seventeen Magazine November 1958." After searching for up to two dozen different magazine covers month by month, I searched for retail clothing store catalogs for the same span of months, etc. :Luckily I found enough suitable images for every time frame to fill this series with beautiful pictures including magazine covers, print ads, model shots in fashion catalogs, calendars, etc.
I regret that you missed the fun of using a jukebox. If you think about it, the person dropping his or her coins into the slot and playing a favorite record for all to hear was "voting" for a song and taking a chance that the entire crowd would like the song, too. Sometimes that was not the case. I can remember quite a few occasions when tough guys at the Dell would kick or ram the jukebox with their shoulders to abort a particular record if they didn't like it. On one such occasion, I saw Dell owner John Ettline storm into the dance hall and order the "jukebox bully" off the property.
Thanks again for joining the fun, dear friend Lux. I wish you and your family the happiest of holidays and all the best in 2024. Thank you very much for your friendship and support!
Oh, I didn't know that about jukebox. I see it in movies sometimes. Especially when the man would play a music and then ask the woman to dance. Looking forward to your 2024 posts.
DeleteThanks for the follow-up comment, dear Lux. Yessum, there are quite a few iconic movie scenes that feature a jukebox. I enjoy watching such films because they always take me back home to the Shady Dell.
DeleteI look forward to entertaining you in 2024, and I invite you to join me for my first post of the new year next Thursday, January 18. Until then, keep well and stay positive. Happy new year, dear friend Lux!
Tom – Thanks for letting me know about part 11. 16 candles has always been one of my favorites, probably since I first met Nancy in 1959 when she was 16 years old and had that record on her jukebox. However, I don’t recall that I ever listened to the ‘B’ side ‘Beside You’ which I really like. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI think Part 11 was one of your best! Have a wonderful Christmas followed by a great new year back here in he northeast. ...Jim
p.s. Think I’ll put 16 Candles back in the Dell jukebox
Hi, Jim!
DeleteIt's terrific hearing from you and learning how The Crests' hit song "16 Candles" figured into your early relationship with Nancy. Thanks for sharing that story with us! Your anecdotes are part of Shady Dell history, and I am delighted to have them on record. I am also delighted to learn that the "killer bee" flipside of that Crests platter, another ballad entitled "Beside You," is new to your ears and that you enjoyed it. Yes, I urge you to insert Coed 506 back into the lineup on the Dell jukebox.
Thank you for the compliment praising Part 11 as one of the best installments of our series. (Must be that video by Slashstreet Boys. :)
Thanks again for reporting in, Jim. Merry Christmas to you, my great friend, and all the best in the year ahead!
Happy holidays, dear friend!
ReplyDeleteIt's been a week and you can tell Mercury is in retrograde. Mom was in a mood, lots of fights this week, but I'm not telling her that I'm moving in with David until the time gets closer. She has tried to sabotage me in the past.
I needed this entry. I loved the vintage ads, commercials, and songs. I love the kitsch of that era.
I can't wait to see what your blog brings us in the New Year. :)
Hi, Jessica Marie!
DeleteIt's a pleasant surprise to find your comment here on my third and final day of blog duty for the month of December and for the year 2023. Thanks so much for coming over! I am also relieved to see that you found my comment on your site from TT which was swiped by your blog gremlins.
Sorry to hear that you and your mom are still having arguments. I hope she doesn't try to stop you for moving in with David, because you are old enough to make your own decisions.
I'm glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane through the songs and images of 1958-59. I hope you and David will carefully watch the last video entitled "More Than A Monster." It's a slickly produced anti-hate, anti-bullying video by an entertainment troupe called The Merkins who appear as iconic movie slashers and call themselves Slashstreet Boys in their video parodies of BSB songs. They bring us food for thought - an important and timely message we should all take to heart this holiday season and on into the volatile election year of 2024.
Thanks for your friendship and support throughout 2023, Jessica Marie. I look forward to staying connected and following each other in the coming year. Happy holidays to you and David, dear friend JM!
Shady,
DeleteShe can't stop me. I'm an adult and she has no say in the matter. Mr. Bolton is welcoming me with open arms. She has to know, since I've been moving stuff, and she told dad that she suspects I'll be moving in eventually... before he even asked me. David told his roommate on Christmas Eve and told his other friend last night. His roommate took it well.
I look forward to what you will be blogging in 2024. I hope that you and Mrs. Shady had a wonderful Christmas.
Hi my friend. Sorry I am so late to the party! I have been busy with some of my craft shows and getting the house ready for the holidays, even though I have just done some minimal decorating. For some reason I just don't have the energy to go all out this year. The Chevy commercial brings back memories of my parents. They used to drive Chevy's all the time and would get a new one just about every two years. My dad used to joke that he had to get a new one because the ashtray was full. LOL. Wouldn't hear something like that these days for sure.
ReplyDeleteI did remember a few of these songs but some were new and the last one was kinda scary to watch!
I hope you and Mrs. Shady have a wonderful Christmas in your new home and will look forward to seeing more from you in 2024. Hopefully I'll get my blog bug back and post a few more myself. I'm getting some things ready for the A to Z in April! Appreciate your dedication here, Shady. Love looking at all the nostalgia.
Hi, Janet!
DeleteI'm thrilled to see you, dear friend. Thanks for popping in! Don't worry about being late. I can imagine how busy you are at this time of year with your craft shows and putting up holiday decorations. If I know you, you also decorated Bill's mother's house for her. You are here in plenty of time because I am still on active blogging duty until midnight tonight when I turn into a pumpkin and fall dormant for another month.
You're right. It takes lots of energy to go all out with holiday decorating. Mrs. Shady surprised me this year by going to considerable lengths, but it's only because we are hosting Christmas dinner for her daughter and family, which includes our granddaughter and grandson.
Like your folks, mine owned a Chevy in the 50s. I'll never forget the night that my dad and brother pulled into the carport in a brand new 1955 Chevy sedan, white over yellow. it was the prettiest car I had ever seen. The next car we got after that one was a VW Beetle which I used to drive up to the Dell every night. Next, we got a Plymouth Satellite for the family car and I got my very own Plymouth Duster.
I'm happy to know that you remember a few of these dreamy ballads played by slow dance loving couples on the Dell jukebox in late 1958 and early '59.
Janet, thank you ever so much for your continued friendship and support this past year. It's been wonderful exchanging visits with you, and I too look forward to resuming next year. I hope you and my buddy Benny are both well and in good spirits as the big day approaches. I will certainly be thinking about your dear mother, and about my own father who passed away on Christmas Day, 2001. Happy holidays to you and your family, dear friend Janet, and many blessings ahead for you all in 2024!
Janet - If you see this, I want you to know that I attempted to leave a comment on your blog just now and it vanished when I clicked to submit. Please check your spam bin. Thank you, dear friend!
DeleteHi Shady, this was a fun and interesting post. My thanks to Jim and Nancy Seiling for saving these historic songs. I loved the commercial with Dinah Shore and Pat Boone. My family used to watch Dinah Shore's show every week too. And we loved the unveiling of the brand new Chevrolets each year. Those cars were huge. We loved the big cars when we were kids. There was lots of room to play in the back seat. My mom would sometimes make a bed back there so we could lie down. Loved the look of those cars too. The cars now look alike. It's hard to tell one from another.
ReplyDeleteI also loved the magazines of the fifties and sixties. They had good articles and stories. I wish my mom would have bought, Calling All Girls, for me. It looks like great fun. We got comic books every week though, and I loved them.
I knew two songs in your line-up, Please Love Me Forever and 16 Candles. I had to go listen to, "It's All in the Game," also by Tommy Edwards, one of my favorites. He had a wonderful voice. I think I liked, "Warm, Soft, and Lovely," third best. I liked the Clickettes, although I've never heard them before.
The video you posted by the Slashstreet Boys was amazing. I was moved by it. No one is irredeemable, no matter what they have done. There is grace and forgiveness available to all. It reminded me of Jeffery Dahmer, who through the help of a Catholic priest, repented and became a Christian, in prison before he died. Also, a serial killer named, Dodds I think, who did the same before he received the death penalty.
You are right how we need to show grace, forgiveness and understanding to those who believe differently than us. It is so easy to hate those whom we believe do wrong. But hatred turns into violence and may we be on the side of peace. The Bible says, "Don't fret yourself over evildoers. It only leads to sin."
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DeleteHi, Belle!
DeleteI just now found your comment in my "awaiting moderation" folder and got it published. Any comment that comes in two weeks or more after a post is published automatically ends up in that bin. I am officially off the grid a few more days, but didn't want to miss telling you how much I appreciate your remarks in response to my Saved Part 11 post. Thank you very much, dear sister-friend!
As you did, I watched The Dinah Shore Chevy Show with my family every week, along with other music and music/comedy/variety hours that were so popular on the networks throughout the 1950s. These included the shows headlined by Ed Sullivan, Eddie Fisher, Lawrence Welk, Milton Berle, Andy Williams, Garry Moore, George Gobel, Steve Allen, Red Skelton, Jimmy Dean, Kate Smith and Perry Como.
Yessum, those cars of the 50s were indeed large. I remember falling asleep stretched across the back seat on long drives with my folks. I used to watch the utility poles and wires go by. My eyes would follow the wires as they rose to the top of the poles and dipped low in between. The effect was hypnotic and sleep inducing.
It was a great idea to feature the same girl and her wiener dog on the cover of every issue of Calling All Girls. You will see more of these whimsical CAG covers as this series goes along.
Thanks for naming the tunes you remember. As you might have noticed, I now have a scan of that bright red Crests' record displayed near the top of my right sidebar in honor of Jim & Nancy Sieling. It was "their song." I also appreciate you giving honorable mention to the forgotten girl group The Clickettes and their single "Warm, Soft And Lovely," a long lost gem that deserves to be heard.
I am particularly pleased that you understood what that final video was about. If you watch and listen carefully, as you clearly did, the anti-bullying, anti-hate themes become apparent. The message is simple and powerful. Even a monster can change his ways, change his approach to people and find out how good it feels to be kind and helpful. People who spend all their time hating and plotting ways to conquer, defeat and get revenge on their enemies are doing the devil's work, not God's. The Slashstreet Boys videos are produced by a troupe called The Merkins, and they have received tons of favorable comments on their touching holiday offering "More Than A Monster." Thank you again for really getting what they were trying to convey in that beautifully crafted video.
I'll be back next Thursday, January 18, with a post marking the 60th anniversary of an event that is arguably one of the biggest turning points in the history of popular music. You of all people, fangirl of a certain English band, will be filled with nostalgia when you drop in and experience one video in particular.
Thank you again for taking time to write such a marvelous comment. I hope you are well and in good spirits and I hope to see you again late next week for that special anniversary post.
Happy new year and many blessings to you, dear sister-friend Belle!