"Up With People" Up With People (1965)

When I was a kid, I hated this record. Like smash this record to atoms, melt it into an unrecognizable blob, jump on it, toss it into a woodchipper, melt it back down into another blob, toss it into a lead barrel, seal it with concrete and launch it into deep space hate this record.

Up With People is a musical troupe that goes around the country (and even the world) trying to bridge cultural differences and create global understanding through public service. And musicals. They released several albums (all including this song) from the 1960s to the 1980s. Actress Glenn Close was a member in the '60s

Good intentions and wholesomeness aside, UWP became infamous for four years as being the selected Super Bowl halftime act from 1976 to 1986. They were lambasted as utterly the worst Super Bowl halftime act ever and, well, here. Take a look.




UWP's incredibly choreographed and cheerful singing and dancing acts were remarkable visually. No sleazy "wardrobe malfunctions", hard rock music, hip-hop or anything remotely disturbing to heartland American sensibilities. They were as threatening as milk and cookies. 

But in spite of it as time wore on, Up With People's brand of entertainment had become increasingly stale and dated. Halftime became the time you made a run to the 7-Eleven for more beer, chips and ranch dip. It wasn't until 1987 when they were permanently dropped from the halftime act roster and were replaced by hipper, edgier pop acts and commercials you just have to see.


They returned as the pre-game act in 1991, but that would be their last Super Bowl appearance.

While some people may look at Up With People as some pseudo-hippie musical act about peace, love and understanding, I look at them as just one big, if somewhat creepily happy glee club.

However, They've received corporate funding, including from Halliburton (cue Jaws theme), General Motors, Exxon, Searle Pharmaceuticals - major progressive no-nos. Leading to criticism that they are more closely linked to right wing politics than they let on. They've also received praise from John Wayne, Pat Boone and Presidents Nixon, Reagan and George H.W. Bush, not exactly the most liberal statesmen.

In 2009, a documentary was made on Up With People called Smile 'Til it Hurts: The Up With People Story.


Up With People are now in their 50th year. Not doing Super Bowl halftime shows, but still very much active.

Dance The Slurp (1967)

Side B

This was a promo 45 that was given away with the purchase of a Slurpee at 7-Eleven stores in 1967.

Furr (Magna-Glide, 1977)

Who was Furr?

We still don't know. But from the knee-high go-go boots, coloured spandex pants, sequined trench coats and bad face makeup. I'm guessing we're dealing with a "If Peter Criss can do it, we can too!" kind of band.

And from the look and sound of them, that wouldn't be too far off the mark.



Furr comes off like one of those Chinese knockoffs of a famous Western name brand product. And considering 1977 was when Kiss was at the height of their careers and the similarities of Kiss and Furr's logos, it only made one wonder.

This album was produced by legendary bubblegum pop producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffery Katz (Ohio Express, The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus, etc.) for the New York based label Magna-Glide. Not much is known about Magna-Glide either except they did sign '60s R&B singer J.J. Jackson to the label in the mid-'70s and they were distributed by London Records.

But there was just simply no way Furr could ever compete with the stratospheric popularity of Kiss at that time. And this was Furr's only known album.

"Relaxation" The John Howard Abdnor Involvement (1969)

Listen here

Somewhere at the intersection of Dora Hall, Kit Ream and How To Blow Your Mind And Have A Freak Out Party sits this album.

Unknown artist on a record label owned by family? Check. Incoherent, possibly drug induced babbling? Check. Hippie cash in? Check.

John Howard Abdnor Jr. was a pretty lucky guy. The son of a very successful insurance salesman, John Jr. was aspiring to be a musician. John Sr. benevolently formed a production company and record label called Abnak for his son's musical enterprises.

Abnak Records (and yes, the label bears a suspicious resemblance to the classic Atlantic Records label - it's been said John Abdnor Sr. asked Atlantic Records chairman Ahmet Ertegun if he could use Atlantic's design for Abnak and Ertegun was flattered by the proposition, even though the two labels are not related) did score a national Top 10 hit with "Western Union" by The Five Americans in 1967. But every other Five Americans single reached far lower on the charts.

However, John Abdnor Jr. had made some records of his own and as a duet as Jon & Robin & The In Crowd with singer Javonne Braga as Robin. They scored some minor pop singles, including "Do It Again Just A Little Bit Slower", which made Top 20 in 1967.

Tragically, John Abdnor Jr. also suffered from bouts with mental illness and on July 27, 1980, he murdered his girlfriend, Janis Ballew, after she revealed she had an abortion. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1981, but the conviction was overturned on a technicality in 1988.

"Doc" Earl Klugh (1980)

During the 1980s, this was the most popular music bed for everything for car commercials to the local public access TV community calendar.

And a lot of people liked this song. In spite of Mrs. Flooby's Knitting Class in the basement of St. Helpus Church at 7:30pm. Refreshments provided. Bring your own knitting needles and yarn.

Here's Earl Klugh's "Doc".

Side One: Rock 80 (K-Tel 1980)

This is unquestionably my FAVOURITE K-tel album.....Every song a classic. Enjoy!

Side 1 of 'Rock 80'

Building Mind Power - The Ben Sweetland System (Nocturnal Education/RCA Custom, 1956)

Ben Sweetland was a motivational speaker. Similar to Norman Vincent Peale, Napoleon Hill, Zig Ziglar and the late Robert Schuller. He was a godfather to the self-help craze that continues to lure in desperate people to this day.

A pioneer in "sleep training", he published this 22 record ‘system’ as a way for average people to improve themselves via conscious and subconscious education.

These records look like 45 RPM discs. But they actually played at 16 RPM with an average playing time of 20-30 minutes per side.

Are you sure this is something that ought to be played during daytime hours?

On top of this MAMMOTH 22 record set, Sweetland also offered a special phonograph changer with a timer. So users of the program can select when certain talks were to be heard during the night or day.

The Elves And The Shoemaker (Scholastic Records, 1975)

More on the Scholastic Book Club.  

"The Rock & Roll Doctor" Travesty Ltd. (1980)

As heard on Dr. Demento back in the day.....

The Tefifon

When it came to tape machines, the German made Tefifon  was one odd duck.....

....That's because it was no ordinary tape machine.

The Tefifon (or Tefi) used perhaps the very first example of an endless loop, like an 8-Track. But no magnetic tape. Instead, it used grooves in the tape, like a vinyl record.

Unlike the 8-Track, most Tefifon tapes are still playable after all these years. The Tefi machine was invented in the 1930s and refined before becoming available in Germany (and it's US export brand, Westrex.) from 1952-1964

The thin grooved tape had the same fidelity as an Evatone sound sheet. Each Tefi tape could play for sixty minutes up to four hours.

Each recording began with 40 seconds of fanfare. This was for the listener to adjust their sound equipment for the best fidelity and insure stable tracking of the stylus and groove.

Here's a full Tefi recording. Their repertoire was mostly of unknown German acts.


More on the Tefi machine and tapes.

"Religion And Politics" Scott Beach (1976)

Scott Beach was a DJ for legendary San Fransisco Classical radio station KKHI when he recorded this now long out of print spoken word single, which also appeared on Dr. Demento's Dementia Royale LP, also out of print.

How many words can you say with just one breath of air?......

1970s Magnavox Drum Console Stereo

These are very rare today, Magnavox Drum Consoles were designed to blend in as an end table as well as match the popular octagon shaped living room furniture of that time.

Chu-Bops

Chu-Bops were awesome.

Chu-Bops came out in 1980. Their first series consisted of eight different then-current album covers by then contemporary artists including Foghat, The Knack, Pat Benatar, Rush, The Spinners and others.

Each Chu-Bops album sleeve had song lyrics and band bios printed on the back of each cover. They also had an order form on the detachable flap for offers (such a protective case to store your Chu-Bops collection) and fan club memberships.

Photo: Stuff We Collect.com

They came in shrink wrap. The gum was your typical pink hard gum seen in most baseball card packs, but in disc shape. Like a tiny vinyl LP (there was no music stamped into them and you couldn't play them on a record player). On the shelf, they looked like tiny vinyl LPs

Later series included an all Beatles set, and Elvis set and several others until the Chu-Bops line was discontinued in 1983.