Horrors in the Wax Museum

 If you were a Beatle-crazed teen on a family vacation or class trip to the 1964 World's Fair, perhaps you were thrilled to stand in the presence of these grotesque effigies of your beloved moptops... or perhaps just appalled. I realize that at the early stage of the game in which these would have been sculpted, their images weren't burned into everyone's brains yet, and adults generally could only distinguish Ringo among their lineup anyway, but these are still pretty poor. On the other hand, the Ed Sullivan is not half bad, and their other celebrities (I didn't scan those) are no better or worse than average for this sort of thing. For more adventures at Walter's Wax Museum, come with me to my work-related blog at The Home of the Bippy!

The Great 1958 Gorilla Hunt

Seen here is the Safari Ride at the Pacific Ocean Park preview in 1958. Pictured are Vicki Lopez, and Bobby and Billy Hunter (really!) taking aim at a menacing fake gorilla. Via the USC Digital Library.

The Moons - Gammera

The Moons - Gammera

photo via MST3K

I Dig Her Wig

Rod McKuen - I Dig Her Wig (2:14)

Jukebox On The Moon

Ginny Millay - Jukebox On The Moon

For Those In the Athens, Georgia Metropolitan Area

Come and wear out your dancing shoes to the swinging soulful sounds purveyed by your friend and mine, the mighty Kurt Wood, as well as the similarly-magnificent DJ Mahogany! PLUS: Fill your belly with a home-cooked meal, courtesy of Nate, your host! Poster (whose colors have shifted strangely in their journey to the internet, but I kinda like it) by yours truly.

The Lombardo Twins

   According to the back of this wallet-sized photo, they were on "A" Records of 14 Jefferson Street, Elizabeth, NJ.

I can't tell you much else about them, except that their one record that I know of is great. I'll let "DJ Little Danny" show you his copy. He might even let you hear it, if you say "please". Here's what Billboard had to say about them.

Even MORE About Swamp Guinea!

Here's a harrowing true-life account of a natural disaster as experienced at the original Swamp Guinea in 1973. I don't know if this was the occasion for its demise, but it certainly couldn't have helped.

Goin' Back to Swamp Guinea

I was all prepared to post "Been to Swamp Guinea" a week or so ago, but my current sporadic access to my computer (which should be resolved in about a month, I hope) allowed our Glorious and Benevolent Ringleader to scoop me. That said, I don't believe she has this. In the interest of strict accuracy, what is advertised here is not the original, long-defunct Athens location of the song, but their other, still-extant location a bit further north. I've only eaten there once, but I would recommend it. This particular ad is from a 1972 edition of the Anderson (SC) Daily Mail. Fun fact: the Daily Mail not only ran Criswell's column, their subsidiary, Droke House Press, was his hardcover publisher. I don't know how that occurred... Anderson is a long way from Hollywood!

Otis Redding - "Tramp"

Can Your Monkey Do The Dog?

Rufus Thomas - Can Your Monkey Do The Dog?

Electrifying Mojo

Midnight Funk Association intro. Courtesy of Mr. Fine Wine's 2005 marathon premium.
Photo by Jimmy Fountain.