Needle Drop Nation

Hi, welcome everybody to Needle Drop Nation. This is episode 5. It's 1968 and these are the songs that defined a turbulent year. I'm joined as always by my great friend Jodie. Jody, welcome to the podcast.
It's going to be a good one. I Oh, it's going to be a fantastic one. 1968 is such an interesting year. Everybody here is in for a treat. Um we've got a magnificent um playlist that we put together for um that, you know, turbulent year that we are going to acknowledge and celebrate. Um a lot of great new artists um that emerged around that year, great films um that really um shifted the world, the way the world thought too as well. So, Um definitely um we can definitely start off about what's been going on in the UK and the US. So Nick, take it away.
Yeah, there's there is so much. First of all, I just wanted to say a shout out to Maria uh Jose Zaza Dirkson. Uh she is a wonderful friend and she said she was born in 1968. Please could she have Hey, Jude. Well, of course. This is what we love when someone says, "Can I have something?" We We'll put it on our face. Hey Jude is there. It comes from one of our favorite albums, uh, the White Album, which was a double album. Um, so there was a whole ton of Beatles songs all released. When you think back, Jody, it's incredible. Just the sheer volume of songs these guys were producing. It was, it was just constant. And they were the thing was they were really good. I got one of my favorite
amazing Well, you don't you don't only have like two songwriters, you got four songwriters in there. And the great thing about the White Album, you know, Hey Jude, Maria, I agree with you. Hey Jude is one of my favorite tracks of all time from the Beatles. Um, you will hear the four of them, their songwriting. You celebrate the Beatles, all of them, Paul, George, Ringo, John, and you're going to hear it through the music and also from the um from you know, from the the writing, which is amazing. You know, you really get to finally see their characteristics, their individuality in the White Album. So, yeah, definitely.
Great. So, Hey Jude in particular, I I I played it on the bass a few times. I love it because it's a nice simple one to play, I'll be honest.
But, uh, we're chatting and it says all about um all about poor old Julian, young Julian, John Lennon's son. So, Paul wrote it uh to try and cheer him up because his parents going through a rather sticky divorce. Um which is what a wonderful gift to be able to just write a song. So cool. Um it's maybe where you take your inspiration from. So yeah, that's obviously, you know, they're not the first and won't be the last couple to to end up divorced, but you know, the kids the kids, I'm afraid they always take the brunt of it. And They do. They They suffered the most when
Amazing song. I absolutely love it. Another cracking one on there I really like, Jody, which is Dear Prudence.
Oh, wow. Yes.
I just thought that was cool when I heard it by the Beatles. I thought it was even cooler when Suzie and the Banshees covered it.
I was gonna say the same thing. That is one of versions because, you know, it still has that psychedelic meme you know, feel to it. The way she did it with the guitars, um, her band, you know, Budgy and, you know, the band members with Susie and the Banshees and when John sang it and the band did it, you still have that level of psychedelia, you know, in it, you know, whether it was written in in the late60s and now you're transported to what, 1983 when that song was released by Susie Sue and the Banshees.
Yeah.
You know, it it just Resonates, you know, euphoria to be quite honest.
Was it 83? My goodness.
Yes, it was 83.
Wow. We were just kids.
We were. But you know what? We're going to we're going to head there soon. We're going to head soon.
We're on 1968 now. It's not going to be too far away. We'll be racing up racing up there. Um, so any other any other great songs on on the White House, JD?
Oh, well, there is I am the walrus cuckoo kachu. talk about experimental, you know, everything. It was very experimental. And it's funny cuz we when when when I was in um kindergarten and uh we were listening it uh listening to it on the radio um on a classic rock radio at the time um and circa this is the early '7s mid70s kids. Okay. So some of my friends were were at home. We were celebrating my birthday party and it was hysterical because like they say cuckoo kachoo they like thinking it's a kid song I'm like I am the walrus you know you are the Eggman and
you will you see like you know the kids will be like and then they go cuckoo ku I'm like so it was interpreted as a storytelling song you know for kids but lo and behold we what I wonder what the inspiration behind um writing I am always was truly about.
Yeah. I I have no idea. I think there's probably something going on. I think someone was smoking something. Um
Oh, definitely. Definitely inspiration there. There you go.
But what a great song. Yeah.
Absolutely.
Um another one, as we know, I'm a big Stones fan as well, and they released Beggars's Banquet in 198 and that had a couple of absolutely banging tunes. Jumping jack flash. It's a gas gas gas gas gas
gas. Oh yes.
Which is so cool because that is, you know, five English BS and they're having a gas because having a gas is an American word, but they've been in the States for quite a bit um touring around. So I think that's where they picked that up.
And the other absolute one of my favorite songs is Sympathy for the Devil. Just that rhythm, the darkness of it. The whole the whole thing of it is just like Yeah. And and when they I remember seeing them play it live, of course they always played a longer version and it's just that just that rhythm and you kind of you kind of get into that. It is really hypnotic.
Fantastic. Fantastic rhythm they've got going on there.
It's almost like it leads to a ritual when you actually hear that song. It goes you hear the background and you hear the drum.
I mean that whole thing almost like into a ritual that the devil is going to seduce you, you know, and on and it's it's a story
again. It but it's a direct message which I love,
you know.
Yeah, it really reflects turbulent times, doesn't it?
It did. It did. And it was it was satire. The song itself was a form of satire about what was going on in the world in 1968. Um, you know, a lot of um protest still that we see um we had m major assassinations for um really significant political leaders. Yes. In uh the United States and then Nick in the UK there was that famous speech um that um was heard that
that's right we had the Enoch Powell uh Rivers of Blood speech um which was caused caused some uh some race riots. Um because basically he was he was saying that you know the under the yoke of the black man will see rivers of blood and uh it was yeah it was really a bizarre well not bizarre it was a a real turning point and the crazy thing is when you look back in history it it was actually really popular but his views whilst in today's world we think you know were well I wouldn't go as far call them really racist but they were certainly very very um rightwing on that score. Um but they were also the views held by you know the vast majority of the white population and that was seeing seeing the country all you know all these immigrants were coming from the commonwealth countries. So they were coming from uh like the Caribbean, Pakistan, India all these places that you know quite rightly you know they were allowed to come in um and and settle But you know when we talk about having a uh a multicultural society uh I don't know whether it's the same in the states but it was a case of you know the Indians stayed with the Indians the Pakistanis stayed with the Pakistanis the Caribbeans came with the Caribbean and parts of London um were becoming you know very uh very split by by race and there was a famous the dockers the London dock workers who were very powerful a bunch of people in those days, London being such a massive port. Um, yeah, they actually marched on on Downing Street to to complain about it all as well. So, yeah, fascinating, fascinating time, but but yeah, we look back at it now and say, "Wow, you know, that was very incendry speech for sure,
but yeah, he hit a nerve um and caused some race riots into the bargain." How does that how does that work with in the US? Because, you know, you have their own race rights.
Oh yes. So basically what's going on here we see here in in in um with the uh civil rights movement um that year um April 4th, 1968 um Reverend you know Martin Luther King Jr. um was assassinated um you know by James Earl Ray and it really stirred a huge amount of uproar and upheaval. Um this man has been leading marches with people from the early 60s, 1963 up to the time he passed away. And um it not only caused a stir within the United States, but you know on international news it really stirred a you know it really stirred a lot of um concern as well because there were other things that were going on. We were still involved in the Vietnam War um and then 196 8 hits the year of the Ted offensive when uh North Vietnam and allies in the south uh um were you know North Vietnam in the Vietkong in the south actually attack major cities. Um this is when the Vietnam War was exposed at its most vulnerable point on live television on American television internationally. And I think that's what got that was the crux that got the whole world realizing that this is not the right direction for the US to be involved in whatsoever. Um so that also led to in the Democratic convention um where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was also representing the Democrat in the Democratic party um major major protest anti-war protest the result of a civil rights leader being killed who's fighting for peace and justice. This had caused a lot of you know hatred, a lot of hurt where the this was the time when the national democratic convention in 1968 had major protests backto backto back and then unfortunately later that year um in June on June 5th uh 1968 uh a young politician, Robert F. Kennedy, who was running for the Democratic ticket um was assassinated and um he was very young and um that also caused a lot of tension too as well because he was the hope of promise because we saw a lot of conservatism with leaders, you know, Lyn P. Johnson, you know, even Ron, even John JFK, there was the hope of a better tomorrow. He also had distributed views. But Robert was somebody who represented what the generation, the baby boomers who were becoming that adult, what he would represent and he he you know he was assassinated that year.
So in the United States, yes, it was really it was it was it was that's why it it was definitely a turbulent year for 1968.
It was it was so I didn't How young was he? Robert Kennedy.
Robert Kennedy Jr. He was in his um 30s already. So yes.
Yes. And just to make sure Yes.
I could Yeah, he was in his 30s. I don't have the exact age, but he was definitely in his 30s when he passed away. And if I'm not mistaken, uh John F. Kennedy um was who was also assassinated 1963, our president um was assassinate was he he was in his 40s.
Yeah. Yeah. So, so young. I've I've read I've read a a great deal about uh about uh John F. Kennedy. Um but not so much his brother. So, that is quite quite amazing. I didn't realize he was that young. So, that's
that's incredible. Let's lighten it a touch. Ch.
Okay.
I'm looking at the I'm looking at the playlist. Okay. And the playlist is going to be in the show notes, guys. So, You can play along, put the playlist on uh in the background while you're listening to Jod and I. Um we got some absolutely cracking songs. We've got Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gay, we've got Artha Franklin's in there, saying it loud, James Brown. These are some cracking songs. And it shows us,
you know, Mottown is still alive and well and and and taking names.
Oh, absolutely. And one of my favorite bands that was on the top of the charts as well in the US and UK, specifically in the US. And who came from San Francisco was Sly, the Family Stone.
Oh, yeah. Yes.
We're talking about some new bands that came out around 1968 um you know, had a huge inspiration of R&B artists even up to this day, you know, um with the funk. And the great thing is that they combined funk and they combine rock and they were A great band.
Yes.
Wow. Let's dance to the music we got.
Yes. Exactly.
And there were also some other bands. Yeah. That you know the watchtowwer
young Eric Clapton Cream
of course. Yes.
Talk about right there.
I didn't I forgot to check it out. I'm pretty certain he he played on one of the tracks on the White album as well. Clap him. I wouldn't be surprised.
Yeah. Yeah.
He's I think he's played with most people most people
collaborations. Eric Clapton. Absolutely.
Yeah. Now, now we could have the we might spark the debate as to who is the greatest guitarist of all time. I would say he would have to be up there along with Hendrick.
Eric Clapton.
Oh god.
Definitely. No.
Slow hand.
Yeah. Jimmy would be up there too. Jimmyi Hendris. Hello.
He would indeed. Even though we talk last week. We talked about him setting fire to his guitar. He obviously got a new one cuz he was he was in the charts in ' 68 as well. You probably had more than one guitar. Actually, I saw it. It was um gosh, I saw something the other day
and it was one of the it was one of the Pink Floyd guitars. Sold for a massive amount.
$14 million. I I I read that on the news, too. Yes.
What the
Oh, yes.
Oh my goodness. Gilmore, David Gilmore's um guitar. Oh my gosh. And he was Can I tell you in 1968 at early, you know, you're talking about early Pink Floyd, um David Gilmore was the best looking member, I must Pink Floyd.
Yeah, probably. Probably going to say, you know, we we can put him in that
amazing guitar genre as well.
Yep. David Gilmore. Yep. Yeah. It's incredible. And then we had Stephen Wolf, Born to be Wild Talk. about turbulent times. That song
everybody's just
karaoke favorite. You're just going to grab whatever's to hand for your microphone blasting.
Exactly. Exactly. Get rid of that angst. Just celebrate.
Totally. Totally. Um right before we get back to more music, there was some amazing films in
Absolutely. as well. We're talking one of my favorite bit of a long one. One of my favorites uh 2001 Space Odyssey, How
uh The Robot. Uh yeah, what an incredible film. I remember I remember reading the book as a young as a young man before I actually saw the film. And you know how oh book's better than the film and blah blah blah.
That's Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. I think Yeah. Maybe I think they're both the same on that one. both hard to follow.
No, it's You know what's interesting though? You know, it's hard to follow because there was hardly any dialogue.
That's what made 2001 um Space Odyssey, you know, an interesting film of its time. Very not that much dialogue to be quite honest. A lot of music, you know, amazing soundtrack. Um also utilizing classical music. Um you know, And so funny because when you think about the science fiction films that begin in a ship has a very similar intro um you'll see like with Alien.
Yeah.
It it inspired it inspired several um sci-fi films and the one that comes into mind with 2001 Space Odyssey is Alien. And remember we were going through that big race again of who's going to land on the moon
of Yeah, of course. That's That was a perfect timing. Yep. Perfect timing.
Yeah, space was a very big one cuz we cuz Yeah, cuz that big we didn't actually know what was on the moon in those days. Many many people believed it was made of cheese.
I was going to say that too. Ch I thought parents just said that to children to make them just be quiet. Like you see those craters? That's cheese.
It's cheese.
You see that hole? Like you see with cheddar That's cheese. And I said, "They just did that to just shut us up as kids, right?" Oh, hell no. No, that they did not know what the moon was made of.
I know. It's like how how the cow jumped over it. I have no idea.
Yeah. How did they get the cows up there?
Yeah, that's just very very strange. But but yeah, no, you're right. I think I think some of the music I must double check it, but I think some of the music in it was Mo Kleiner backed music.
Um Yes.
Was uh was some of the music in there. Some great classical music.
Oh, absolutely. Yes.
Fantastic. And of course other movies of that year. Rosary's Baby, Planet of the Apes.
Planet of the Apes. Yes.
And of course, we had a a great film. Um so you're talking about great science fiction films that came out of um that year, Planet of the Apes, which is actually one of my favorite science fiction films of all time. Um it really is a great metaphor for how humans through, you know, racism, imperialism, violence is translated through a science fiction narrative. And we have amazing actors like Charlton H, Rody McDow,
um, you know, uh, who starred in Planet of the Apes. Also, what's interesting, it's in the eyes of an astronaut who lands on this planet not realizing where he's in. He feels that he's going through a planet that is run by apes, but it's an interesting story. So, and it was written I read the book. Um, it was written by uh Robert Buy. It's called The Planet Desum Planet of the Yes. So,
so did you did you read the French version?
You know what's funny? I can speak um conversational French. and just hasn't practiced it in years. Um, but reading it, I can read it. I could read um, sometimes I'll have to refer back, but I can read some French definitely.
Wow, that is very impressive. I used to live with a when I lived in Germany, one of our neighbors, Betina, who was a German, lovely, elderly German lady, she was a a retired teacher and she used to I never liked Harry Potter, I'll be honest, but she she was reading the English version of Harry Potter. And I'm saying, "How do you understand that?" I said, "It's got made up. It's got made up words in. They're not even, you know."
And she was like, "Oh, it is so much better than the German translation." I'm thinking, "Wow, I don't I don't I'm English and I don't like it at all." But I guess it was quite big, so I can't really complain. Any got a little bit off the off the tangent.
Yes. And then we also had um so talking about the you know um science fiction films with Planet of the Apes and 2001 Space Odyssey. It was also the year of musical sound I mean soundtracks as well with um
another great cast film the graduate
with
Exactly. And that's how it comes back because we got on the playlist
we got Simon and Gar Uncle Mrs. Robinson. Exactly. That was great. That was a great one. Oh god. He was a chap in it. I can picture him but I can't think of his name
in the graduate.
Dustin Hoffman.
Dustin Hoffman.
That was the lead character. Yeah. He was um and the story line is so interesting about um being in it was almost like a love triangle where you know you had going to marry you know the love of your life but then you have the mother played by an bankraftoft hello another great actress
yeah absolutely married to Mel Brooks
married to Mel Brooks there you go we're gonna play that connection right
know our actress actors and actors and directors and that was all
linked who was a who was a younger lady I can't think of
that was Katherine Ross who um who played um yeah his girlfriend his fiance and then she later was in the famous film um Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid which I think came out in 6970. Yeah.
Won an Oscar too.
Yeah. That wasn't a bad movie was it that one?
No. I think it's, you know, this is like the 60s. I think like the the graduate was a representation of the glamorous side
of America in 1968, you know, which was really interesting. Um, talking about it with the central upper middle class family, you know, the complications that are involved in their lives. Um, but yeah, it it kind of brought a certain sense of entertainment even science fiction as a realm for escape. But it also got you to think about a lot of things of what was going on in the world at that time too.
Yeah. Quite quite amazing. It's amazing how how the music intertwined with all these things. So So yeah, so we've got um we got Mrs. Robinson on the on the playlist. We got some we got some youngsters as well that came through in 1968. For those of you in the UK particularly, you probably I don't know whether you know this or not, but you know, we've all heard of status quo. David Carpet, Francis Frosty, rocking all over the world. Bit of a heavy metal band. They opened Live Aid in 1985,
but they had their first single was in 1968. And I think it was like pictures of can matchick men or something like it is the most hippie psychedelic song you've ever heard. If you listen to it, you'll think that's never the quote. It's like, yeah, I'm afraid of you. Um, so yeah, I don't know whether they ever looked back on that and like pushed it to one side. I'm sure they were very proud of it. Um, but yeah, it was Yeah, you would not believe status quo started up these lovely very hippie type uh
Mhm.
welld dressed for hippies in fairness, but very very psychedelic. Um,
that was the same thing with um was it Black Sabbath?
Oh, with Oussie Osborne. Yeah.
I am Iron Man.
Yeah.
I mean like it was also they started off with some experimental psychedelic music and then gone into the heavy metal direction. Um, and it's funny because when you think about that genre, well, I think about I think about Spinal Death, you know, that famous film by uh directed by Rob Reiner. Um, may his soul rest in peace, but it is an Aussie too as well. Um, but yeah, it's just it's so interesting how you see these heavy metal bands You know, rock legends now started all from the period of hippies and psychedelia and what music they had.
Flowers in their hair, tambourines. Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank god they evolved.
No, it's true. It's true. And um what else is there that
Sorry, we haven't got a status quo on our sound on our playlist. We could could always Yes, we could. We had it on. But we we do have um Albatross
by Fleetwood Mac.
That's true. From Fleetwood Mac.
That is a
That was a cool one. M Fleetwood. Stevie Nick.
So many so many stories of what happened to them again when we
Oh yes. Yes. You talk about Fleetwood Mac. Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. So So they were young and together.
That's right. The key word is together.
The exchange of marriage partners,
you know, divorce. Talking about divorce again, it's like how many marriages were formed
between the members.
I know. I know. Another great another great story. But uh yeah, no, those that was, you know, they were great uh great songs. We also got um Oh, I know. one sitting on the dock of the bay. Hot reading.
Mhm.
That's a great That's a great song. We got We got Donovan and the Doors in there as well. But got some really good ones. I think they're fantastic.
Yeah. And you got stuff that gets people to, you know, reflect that Artha Franklin. You better think,
you know, and also you finally hear last last episode we talked about Um, Glattus Night in the Pips version of the Ashford and Simpson written song. I heard it through the grapevine. So in 19 that was 1967 1968 Marvin Gay
does his version of it and boy can you tell tell you with tempo with mood it really puts the song in a different context.
Beautiful version.
Mhm.
Yeah. You can Yeah. Feel it. You can feel it soul. Yep, you do. And you also get a sense of like, you know, understanding, you know, because it's about, you know, someone cheating on you. But then also when you think when you listen to Marvin's um orchestration with the band when he when they have his song, it really makes you think about, you know, yeah, well, you know what? I was cheated of of what's been going on in the world today right now. Yeah. Cheering up. If you want cheering up, there was one TV show that started in the 60 in ' 68. One that we watched as kids all the way through the 70s. They just had it on rerun. The banana splits. That was such iconic TV. The crazy I don't even know what sort of animals there were. The one with a big trunk and then great like bumper car type things, didn't they?
They were brilliant.
68 god.
And it was the embodiment, the music, the background music that they played, you know, these the style of spoof and and um you know, Marnt with for and this was through um a show for kids.
You could really feel that late60s vibe in that show. You know, it was
there was a real joy in there that So, I think we, you know, we've we've talked about, you know, some assassinations. We talked about uh the war in Vietnam, the race riots in the UK as well, but there was a great deal of fun and uh happiness as well. So, I wanted to mention the banana splits because I think a lot of people, they will look and go, "Ah, yeah." And if you're lucky like I was, suddenly just by talking about it, As these things happen, I then get the theme tune pops up in my YouTube channel and it's like fantastic.
You know, you were watching those episodes. We know you were watching those episodes on your free time, you know, just like, oh, I remember that. And then, of course, that's why the feed come.
Yeah, exactly.
It's okay. We all have our moments of watching our favorite shows from the past.
And yes,
I think to see one of those again. But that was that that was TV back in the day, didn't you?
Mhm.
It was good. It was good. So, next week uh sorry, next week, um Jody, we've got 1969.
There's a couple of top tunes coming up there. I'm going to put a request in for Space Odity,
David Bowie.
Yes.
Oh my goodness. Because you know that is a great I am I love the whole you know Ziggy but this is Space Oddity. Yes.
Yeah. That was uh one of my songs I played more than any other I think uh
growing up on guitar in my life. Uh no no just on the radio just on the record.
Oh I thought on the guitar yeah would be
Yeah.
No'll be great. Oh if we could that'll I'm so looking forward to um next week's episode with, you know, with um David Bowie, we're gonna see um some hits from the Jackson 5 as well. Yes,
of course.
Baby, I want you back. Yes. Oh my goodness,
I want you back. I hurt my finger playing that on the bass. That is such a such a complicated baseline. And my niece, bless her, uh she gave me a kind of like a toned down version. Yeah.
It's a Yeah, it's great if you can play it.
I'll have to practice.
Yes. And and you know what? I just wanted I was talking with Nick earlier and I just wanted to say we're now on our fifth episode and you know we are celebrating our what is that? What do we call it Nick? It's been
oursy.
Our monsery. Our first one.
And uh you know we want to All
exactly. Happy month three to Needle Drop Nation. Uh we want to thank all of you guys. Everybody who's watched our um podcast, who's listened to our podcast. Um we definitely have the link. Um if you are driving your car busy, you could also listen to our podcast as well as subscribe. Um definitely you're in for a treat. Always there's a surprise in every episode as you know. And So, um, you know, the excitement of a great playlist that you can connect to, um, that celebrates that year through the eyes of Gen Xers.
Exactly. It's our ongoing love letter to our our youth. So, thank you, Jody, as always. Um,
thank you, Nick.
Yeah, do check out the playlist. It's in the show notes. Uh, we're on uh YouTube, we're on Spotify, we're on Apple. Uh, if you want to leave give us a review, a good one. Uh then please do. If you got any requests for 1969, then do let us know. As you know, we played Maria's. We didn't play Maria's, but we included Maria's. Hey Jude, cuz she requested it. So we do listen. Uh and Jody, any closing comments you want to make in a farewell to 68.
Oh well, let's hope that we see that in 1969, 1970, you know, society folks make choices that help to bring a better world. I mean, yes, that sounds very altruistic, but uh we're hoping through, you know, we're going to see in the years ahead, especially in ' 69, when it's the come together, all about coming together. And we acknowledge the turbulence, we acknowledge the hurt that we saw in ' 68. 69 is the emergence of coming together.
Oo. So, you don't want to miss it. So, So stay tuned. Jo, as always, always a pleasure doing a podcast with you.
Take care everybody
and we will see you next week for 1969.
Bye
bye everybody. Thank you. Thank you Nick. You're the best.