Halloween Hits: "The Martian Boogie" Brownsville Station (1977)

 

 Listen Here

 As played frequently on The Dr. Demento Show around Halloween back in the day. Enjoy.

The Coon Chicken Inn: The WORST Restaurant Chain In History

Uh-oh, we now see the shameful side of Seattle's otherwise awesome culinary history.

It's hard to believe a place with a name like The Coon Chicken Inn would ever have existed in polite, politically correct Seattle. But in the pre-Civil Rights era, such things were not uncommon anywhere. Including Portland, OR and Salt Lake City, UT, when The Coon Chicken Inn had other locations.

And this place made Sambo's look modest.

They opened in 1925 and within a few years, drew the wrath of the Seattle NAACP, who threatened to sue for defamation and libel. It's mascot was a grotesque, ugly caricature of a black porter (and perhaps the first ever mascot used by a restaurant chain, paving the way for Ronald McDonald four decades later.) And like Ronald McDonald at McDonalds, the porter mascot was everywhere at this place.

They actually made hand fans for kids (with menus on the back) in derogatory caricatures of African-Americans.

The porter caricature appeared on everything inside and out of the place. Including matchbooks, the dinnerware, silverware and even soap bars. They even made spare tire covers with the caricature on them.

Coast to Coast?....Er, no. They wish. But this chain never grew beyond a few locations in the Western half of the US.

  
From "AW HELL NO!!" to "W.....T......F???!!!" This was their actual Seattle location, circa 1939...

Image: BlackPast.org

Now look behind the labour union protesters (another problem with The Coon Chicken Inn.), behind that car to the caricature's mouth. Yes, this was the actual entryway. Every location had a similar entryway.

The Seattle and Portland locations closed in 1949, due to changing tastes and a shrinking customer base (one should hope so!) The Salt Lake City location carried on until 1957.

More on this place:
BlackPast.org
Wikipedia
University of Washington

Vintage Kmart Memories

Click Here For Even More Kmart Memories

 Some locations had a separate drive-in burger restaurant called Kmart Chef. I never lived near one, but some of my older friends remember them as some of the very best cheeseburgers they ever had.....

More McDonalds Memories

Thanks to Lee Willoughby...

Taco Bell, 1970s

Before They Were Stars: Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar didn't just open the door for women in rock. This little woman with the HUGE voice absolutely KICKED the door in. Right off the hinges. 

But before her mega-platinum career one of as rock's most influential female superstars, she was.....a lounge singer? 

"Coxon's Army Live from Sam Miller's Exchange Cafe" (Trace Records, 1974), was produced as a reportedly unaired local TV special for Richmond, VA public TV station WCVE and is the very first album she appeared on.

This album also features a cover of "Theme From Shaft" but no indicator if she actually sang it (perhaps the female backing part.) This is a $500 record in mint condition. About 1,000 copies were pressed and that's a VERY short run for any record.

Click to enlarge

"Respect" (1974)

"If He Walked Into My Life" (1974)

"Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (1974)

"Day Gig" Pat Benatar (1974) This is the first headlining single she ever recorded.

Also see Before The Were Stars: The Cars

McDonalds Prices, Circa 1974

Is it just me or are YOU getting pissed off too?

Your Boss Sings The Hits

When we look for employment, even in record stores, the last thing you expect to get is a free record (that came later in your record store career ;) ....)

Until the '80s, when video tapes and later in the 2000's when DVDs became standard, many employers used records to either train employees or boost morale (in that special way only a nameless, faceless and often clueless mega-corporation can.)

When this practice started, it's hard to say. Instructive records and messages from employers to workers of some sort have been around since the 1890s (and on wax cylinders!)

It wasn't until the 1920s did the major record labels set up custom record divisions. They were initially for businesses or organizations with a large nationwide or regional subscriber/client/employee base, but later allowed their presses to be used for smaller regional music record labels. 

If you were a lucky McDonald's employee in early 1979, you got this Eva-Tone soundsheet to prep you for the latest summer advertising campaign blitz for McDonald's.

I'm not sure what the message is here. Are the employees supposed to remember the lyrics of this jingle?

Unbelievable McDonald's Ad From The '70s

"You don't have to get dressed up, there's no tipping...." REALLY?

.....and what's "Dinnertimin'"?

Monterey Jack's

This was before, and after, Jack In The Box. In 1985, Jack In The Box in one of the most disasterous blunders ever made by a fast food chain, changed it's name to "Monterey Jack's"

Patrons were not impressed by the yuppified image makeover and exactly a year later, they became Jack In The Box again.

McDonalds Memories