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Layla's Layout Online
2007-11-16 20:17:00
I know I've been posting a lot about Pattie Boyd lately, but the woman's life kind of fascinates me. How many girls can say they were married to two of rock and roll's greatest? Now I've just discovered her official website. It's chock full of personal photos of her and George Harrison , and even more of her with Eric Clapton . Check out the Polaroids section. Clapton apparently likes animals as much as he liked alcohol. There are a few pictures where he obviously looks stoned. I seriously think these two crazy kids need to get back together. Never mind that Clapton married a graphic designer half his age. It's pretty obvious that he and Pattie still carry torches for each other. What are the odds that the both of them released autobiographies within weeks of each other? They'd make a better couple now in their wiser older age and without the drugs and booze.
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Yeah, It's Been One of Those Weeks
2007-11-16 20:15:00
A little Friday sendoff for everybody...
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Choking Smokers, Don't You Know the Joker Laughs at You?
2007-11-15 19:16:00
One way we definitely DON'T want you to go retro is by smoking. Today is the Great American Smokeout, so snuff out the cancer sticks! Never mind what doctors used to say.
More About: Joker , The Joker , Smokers

Sexiest Man Dead
2007-11-15 15:44:00
So People magazine came out with its annual "Sexiest Man Alive" issue. Matt Damon. Whoop de doo! And how many times are they going to put McDreamy and Johnny Depp in there? I propose that Go Retro starts an annual Sexiest Man Dead tribute. There are so many hotties that have passed on to choose from. For example...We had Errol Flynn:Steve McQueen...George Peppard (I highly recommend The Blue Max; great movie!)I could go on and on and on. These guys were MEN, don't you think? Sexiest Man Dead! I'll have to think about this one and whip up something in Photoshop soon.Last photo courtesy of allposters.com.

Go Retro and Help the Environment at the Same Time
2007-11-14 21:07:00
It's my kind of bag, baby! These adorable reusable retro shopping bags from Silver in the City retail for $35 for a set of five. Each holds the equivalent of two supermarket shopping bags, making them another great holiday gift idea for the retro lover on your list.
More About: Environment , Time , Retro , The Environment , Envi

TV Land Presents the 50 Greatest Icons of TV
2007-11-13 23:20:00
TV Land presents the 50 Greatest Icons of Television this Friday night, November 16, at 8 PM. If you don't want to sit through hours then I can tell you right now that MSN spilled the beans by reporting that Johnny Carson is number one. I also heard that Jennifer Aniston made the list. What's she doing on there? I wouldn't exactly call the cast of Friends "icons." Unfunny and talentless, yes. To think that Aniston made the list but not Sid Caesar defies my hope in mankind.
More About: Presents , Resent

It's Not Such a Small World After All
2007-11-13 18:21:00
Picture courtesy the site www.bigbrian-nc.com.Mickey's too polite of a mouse to tell you, but I'm not (neither polite nor a mouse) so I'm going to tell you for him: people, you're fat, and those of you visiting Disneyland have caused the It's a Small World After All ride to be shut down temporarily to accomodate your expanding rear ends. At least, that's the rumor that Disney won't confirm. The ride opened in 1964 (when overweight people were virtually unheard of) but lately the boats have been getting stuck and even scraping the bottom of the canals because they can't support the growing weight of portly parents and their kids. I say, weight restrictions!!! This is pathetic when a nation can't control its appetite so badly it forces a Disneyland ride to be upgraded! I'm surprised that people still visit this attraction; it's soooo outdated. If you want your kids to get exposed to other nationalities, all you have to do is send them to school...or take them to your local ...
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For the Retro Pop Culture Book Lover on Your Holiday Gift List
2007-11-12 22:48:00
Images courtesy of Amazon.com.Tis' the season for holiday shopping, and what better gift to satisfy the retro pop culture lover than a book? Here are some new ones I recently came across...First up is PoPsie: Popular Music Through the Camera Lens of William "PoPsie" Randolph by Michael Randolph and foreword by Quincy Jones. William "Popsie" Randolph was a photographer who was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time: just about any recording studio or nightclub from the 1940s until his death in 1978, which means his photographs capture a who's who of anyone on the music scene in the mid-20th century. Lucky him. Among those his lenses preserved are Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday , Elvis, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and The Rolling Stones. Each photograph is introduced with text by his son Michael, who chose the best among his father's 60,000 negatives. Hardcover, 226 pages, retails for $19.77 at Amazon. Next, for the TV fan there's the book Sitcoms: The 101 Greatest T...
More About: Culture , Lover , Book , Pop Culture

Remembering...
2007-11-12 22:18:00
Image courtesy Wikipedia.Today is Veteran's Day. I hope everyone remembers all of our veterans and says thank you to those who are living as well as those who are no longer with us. But most of all, I hope for peace.
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Happy Retro Holidays
2007-11-12 21:19:00
Images courtesy fabulousstationary.com.Down with cheesy holiday cards that feature Santa Claus hat wearing puppy dogs and wide eyed cherubs waiting for Saint Nick! Tell the folks at Hallmark to shelve the glitter paint and sappy sentiments. If you're like me, you like your annual holiday greeting to be a little more trendy. You like abstract (yes, that triangle is a tree - what's wrong with your eyes?) You like retro. You've come to the right blog posting. I just discovered the site fabulousstationary.com and their lineup of personalized holiday cards. There's one problem: they're not exactly...well, cheap (unless you think being set back $45 for 25 cards is a bargain) but hey, there's no one stopping you from using the inspiration to whip up your own designs in Adobe Illustrator.Just as fun are MOMA's annual holiday card lineup. Their coolness factor gives these cards the greatest chance of not being tossed out after the holidays have ended and are available through the MOMA...
More About: Holidays , Happy , Retro

Pipette Dreams
2007-11-11 04:57:00
There?s definitely something retro in the air in the UK. First, I introduced you to the Andrews Sisters-inspired Puppini Sisters. Now, I?ve just recently learned about another group from Great Britain called The Pipe ttes who sport matching polka dot outfits and emulate the girls groups from the 60s. Although they describe their sound as Phil Spector and Brill Building-ish, I detect the influences of many female dominated 80s bands including The GoGos, The Waitresses, and Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders in their tracks. Either decade is A-OK in my book as these gals actually write their own songs and have a unique sound compared to today?s homogenized music. The Pipettes are currently on tour in the U.S. and their newest album, We Are the Pipettes, was just released here. I highly recommend visiting their groovy site to have a listen and learn more.Just don't reference them in any way, shape, or form to a particular 60s British band that starts with the word B and ends with S. Ac...
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The Coasters, The Platters, and The Marvelettes: Together At Last At Twilig
2007-11-07 20:21:00
Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing three doo wop/vocal groups from the 50s and 60s perform under one roof. Let me correct that: I saw the current members of three doo wop/vocal groups perform under the same roof, because I'm pretty sure there are few surviving members of The Coasters , The Marvelettes, and The Platters still alive. Despite that, you?d never know that you weren?t listening to the real thing. All three groups had several hits that harken back to the days of pre-Beatles rock and roll (in fact, the Beatles performed The Coasters? Young Blood and Searchin? on the BBC, covered The Marvelettes' Please Mister Postman and John Lennon and Ringo Starr each recorded The Platters' Only You (And You Alone) during their solo careers. It was a time when performers could actually sing and harmonize and often choreographed simple moves while on stage. I can't remember the last time I heard any of these groups on the radio. Today's oldies stations very rarely delve into the...
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A Look Back at 1977 Fashion, JC Penney Style (or Lack Thereof)
2007-11-07 15:20:00
There's good retro...and then there's bad retro. It's unnecessary to state which category these fashions belong to, but in JC Penney 's defense (or offense) they always did have the worst clothing. I mean, these pictures are from 1977...the height of the disco era...and I don't see any sexy threads that I'd wear on the dance floor. It's only been during the last year or so that I've looked at JC Penney's Sunday flyers and seen things of decent quality that I would actually wear. Anyways, these photos are circulating email right now and were passed onto me yesterday by my good friend Jude. I don't know where they originated from or I'd give the instigator proper credit, but really, the copyrights belong to JC Penney. Having said that, here's a sampling. Brace yourself...I actually don't see anything wrong with the cover. They're dressing pretty much the way people dress today: I feel for this child...too many memories of polyester pants from Sears:This one's really a Ha...
More About: Fashion , Style , Back , Lack

GoRetro's Retro Hottie of the Month: Jack Lemmon!
2007-11-06 17:33:00
Photo copyright the website Postershop-espana.com.Ain't nothing sour about this lemmon.
More About: Retro , Hottie , Jack , Month , Mont

Camelot and Other Stuff Remembered
2007-11-03 15:18:00
Cover copyright Vanity Fair 2007. Sometimes I really like Vanity Fair. Finally, a magazine you can actually read and learn from versus the multitude of rehashed beauty and clothing advice rags. The November 2007 issue is abound with retro goodness: beautiful photographs of John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy taken by Richard Avedon in 1961 (some seeing the light of day for the first time) in all of their black-and-white glory, an excerpt from Eric Clapton's new autobiography, a Q&A with former Pink Floyd band member Syd Barrett, and a study of the rise and fall of the dance craze the Twist. Don't miss it while it's on the newstands. You can also access it all though the Vanity Fair site.
More About: Stuff , Camelot

Tony Bennett, Scam Artist!
2007-11-02 15:50:00
Consumer fraud alert! Tony Bennett is a con artist! Bennett's "new" CD, Tony Bennett Sings the Ultimate American Songbook, Volume 1 (You mean there's going to be a volume 2? Another excuse for this man to be in our faces!) is pissing fans off because it isn't a newly recorded album at all but a compilation of previously recorded tracks from Bennett's career ao artfully disguised as a new collection of songs. One reviewer on Amazon.com sums it up so beautifully: "Sorry Piasan, this CD is a major let down. We expect more from you."You know, I never cared for Tony Bennett's singing. I just shake my head at him sometimes and think, "Bobby Darin's dead and this guy is still kicking...why?" I hate to be the one to dispense tough love to the Bennettmaniacs out there but to me his singing voice is mediocre; nothing special. His "Duets" album was good only because he provided half of the singing! Also, he's trying to rip you off bigtime! The old big nosed bastard only cares about maki...
More About: Artist , Scam

I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together With Carol Burnett
2007-11-01 22:15:00
The next genius to attain PBS' American Masters status is comedienne Carol Burn ett . PBS will air ?American Masters ? Carol Burnett : a Woman of Character" on November 5; check your local PBS station listings for the exact time. Burnett's variety program aired for 11 years, and I still have fond memories of watching it as a kid with my parents. I plucked a few interesting excerpts from a recent interview with Burnett that I found on the PopMatters site:She doesn?t watch television much these days, Burnett admits. ?Now, it?s all pretty much reality shows, and they can only go so far. And I miss the good dramas and I miss good comedies. And I do miss variety. I mean singing, dancing, sketches, costumes, guest stars. I mean, maybe somebody can come back and a network would have the faith in someone who would do that. I can think of a few people who would be wonderful, but it?s really the suits, they run it.?Here, here, sister! ?The synergy was just right and wonderful ... I feel sorry...
More About: Time

TV Hosts Choose Retro Halloween Costumes
2007-10-31 21:17:00
They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky...Oops! Wrong TV series. I've never been a fan of The Munsters, but Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer dressed up as Lily and Herman Munster on the Today Show this morning, while Al Roker was a surprisingly good likeness of Grandpa Munster. I heard that over on The View, the ladies staged an even more retro Halloween : the set was transformed into The Cotton Club, with Whoopi Goldberg singing Minnie the Moocher as Cab Calloway! Joy Behar provided the "hi-de hi-de ho's." Sherri Shepherd was a flapper and Barbara Walters was supposed to be one of the showgirls from her father's club, The Latin Quarter. I don't have a picture yet, but somehow I think it would have been funnier if they sang Reefer Man. Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!
More About: Retro , Costumes , Choose , Hosts

Robert Goulet 1933 - 2007
2007-10-31 15:25:00
Image courtesy CardCow.com.Performer Robe rt Goulet has passed away at the age of 73 from pulmonary fibrosis. He had been waiting for a lung transplant. Goulet was known for his portrayal of Lancelot during an early 1960s Broadway production of Camelot. He made several theater and television appearances throughout his career and won a Grammy in 1962 for best new recording artist. He also earned a Tony Award as best actor in 1968 for his role in Broadway's "The Happy Time." Goulet was married three times and had a daughter with his first wife and two sons with his second, singer Carol Lawrence.Believe it or not, I have an uncle who is Goulet's cousin. He said cousin Robert borrowed money from him many, many moons ago and never paid him back, even after he got famous. Looks like he certainly won't get it now...
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Jake Tapper's Nostalgic Man-Do
2007-10-30 15:31:00
Image copyright ABC site. Every time I watch Jake Tapper on ABC World News Tonight, he's got this cute retro wavey thing going on with his hair. He reminds me of another era. All he needs is a white dinner jacket and a clarinet in his mouth. Nicely done, Jakie!
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Baby, You're a Rich Dead Man, Too
2007-10-29 22:26:00
Images copyright Krister Flodin for Forbes .comForbes just released its annual list of the top earning dead celebrities. No surprise, the King was still the top earner with $49 million. John Lennon came in second at $44 million (thank you Yoko), and Charles Schulz was third with $35 million (good grief!) New to the list this year is Steve McQueen and James Brown. You can see the entire list here on the Forbes site accompanied by a lovely slide show. You know what's creepy about this list is that they state each celebrity's cause of death. I really don't like being reminded of how John Lennon died. That, and some of the illustrations. I truly mean no disrespect to the artist, but the one of Steve McQueen looks more like Boris Karloff to me:
More About: Baby , Rich , Dead Man , Dead

They Don't Call Him Mellow Yellow For Nothing!
2007-10-29 21:01:00
Picture courtesy About.com classic rock.60s pop/folk singer Donovan, famous for hits such as Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Mellow Yello w is going to be opening up his own transcendental meditation school according to today's news reports. He's going to call it the Invincible Donovan University. I swear I'm not making this up. Here's a bit of what he told the media:"I know it sounds like an airy-fairy hippie dream to go on about '60s peace and love," said the 61-year-old singer, who was born Donovan Leitch in the Maryhill area of Glasgow. "But the world is ready for this now, it is clear this is the time."He said the university will be located in either Glasgow or Edinburgh.Donovan discovered transcendental meditation while visiting India and guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1968."The Maharishi told me during that 1968 visit that I should build a university in Edinburgh. I went to my room and drew a beautiful dome-shaped place of learning," he said Friday.Donovan has also...
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Wig Out For a Retro Halloween
2007-10-28 16:27:00
Photos by Joel Benjamin for the Boston Globe. Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. My local paper featured a great idea for a last-minute vintage Halloween costume and since I've been so negligent with retro Halloween ideas, here it is for you: pair together a great hat and wig. You can be Miss C herself, Cleopatra, the Chiquita Banana icon, or a Victorian tart. Whatever - the point is, I thought this was a nice idea to pull together a costume with a retro touch. These featured wigs and hats come from the Great Eastern Trading Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The shop is an established vintage store now featuring costume inventory. The store stocks masks and 20s flapper dresses, and wigs start at only $10. Check them out at 49 River Street, Cambridge (617-354-5279) or look for similar stores in your area to spark Halloween ideas.
More About: Retro , Allo

What You Didn't Know About the Wicked Witch of the West
2007-10-28 16:02:00
Photo courtesy of the Bucks County Playhouse website.Oh, that nose, that green skin, that voice, that cackle. No matter how many times I?ve seen The Wizard of Oz, I still get a chuckle and a chill over one of the most famous screen villainesses of all time ? The Wicked Witch of the West , as played by Margaret Hamilton. But as someone who champions underrated actors, I couldn?t help but wonder ? particularly as Halloween approaches ? what Ms. Hamilton was like in real life. My guess was that off screen she was anything but a witch. And so I offer up a tribute full of unknown tidbits about one of Hollywood?s most recognized but perhaps underappreciated character actors. Hamilton was born in 1902 in Cleveland, Ohio. She was drawn to acting as a child and made her theater debut in 1923. Her personal life, remarkably, had much in common with many women today: in 1931 she married only to divorce her husband seven years later ? a time when ending a marriage was not encouraged or very commo...
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GoRetro's Retro Video of the Day: Petula Clark
2007-10-27 17:01:00
Freaking far out, man! Petula Clar k rocks and so do the dancers and the clothing in this video. (although I feel sorry for the guy stuck under the car at the beginning.) The sixties were so easy to make fun out of, but I'd watch this 100 times before I'd watch Britney Tears once.
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Dead Wrong
2007-10-25 23:34:00
Do you think that you and Elvis would have been good together in bed? Or that you have some connection to Marilyn Monroe because you share the same birthday? Now you can indulge your fantasies with the Biography Channel?s Dead Celebrity Soulmate search.But be forewarned: the thing is either broken, or whoever programmed it has a sick sense of humor. I entered my choices (you can select from interests that include poisons and public disturbances) and the celebrity soul mates of my dreams are?Edgar Allen Poe, Henry VIII (what? He doesn?t have the ?tall and lanky? body type that I specified) and Vincent Van Gogh. By far three of what I consider to be the most repulsive men in human history. Vincent promises not to "cut anything off" on a first date (but apparently makes no pacts beyond that.) Edgar is clearly still hung up on his dead wife (and cousin) Virginia (he mentions her non-stop throughout his profile...ugh; what a turnoff!) and Henry thinks the perfect first date is a wedding....
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If You Think Your Parents Never Had Sex
2007-10-25 01:33:00
(Ads copyrighted by MediaPost Communications, Inc. http://www.mediapost.com)Think again, because you just might spot them in these newly launched print ads by Canadian Club Whisky. They were compiled using employees' personal family photos from the 60s and 70s. Energy BBDO designed the ads and created the campaign. Wait - my mom wasn't my dad's first? Mommy? Daddy? Sniff! Please - my father was in World War II, so I've heard all of the stories (from my mother, no less!) I'm always expecting a 65 year-old British woman to ring my doorbell one day and tell me she's my long lost half sister. And damn right about the chicks in these photos! What a life. I gotta find my own retro daddy to curl up on when I get home from work. I'm kind of not looking for a 60s man at the moment, though. I want a classy 1940s model. I hope he doesn't mind listening to "Moonglow" for getting in the mood music.You can see larger images of the ads at http://video.mediapost.com/index.cfm?clie ntfile=otl...
More About: Parents , Parent , Pare

GetGoRetro, Not to Be Confused With GoRetro, Launches Online Clothing Site
2007-10-24 17:08:00
A new e-commerce retro clothing site was launched this week: GetGoRetro.com. Here's the skinny from the "about us" page:Get Go Retro is a new "Retro Inspired Cloth ing Site " and was creating with paying for college in mind. With two daughters who love the 50's look, dresses and hair, it seemed to be a natural fit to sell retro clothing. Having been born in the late 50's; heard about the 50's from parents and grandparents, we have a good idea of the "times." We are an e-boutique for rockabilly, 50's styled retro and swing clothes. If we don't sell an item and we like it, we offer links to other vendors where you can find other cool retro products. And, if you are looking for something on our site and don't see it; just write us, we will try to find it for you. "Our hope is to encompass a wide array of resources to help you create your style and "look."They have some really cute dresses and skirts. It's nice to know that there are younger people out there who are being intr...
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I Dream of People Who Can Get Retro TV Characters Right
2007-10-23 21:50:00
Billionaire Mark Cuban doesn't seem to be a favorite on Dancing With the Stars, but I thought his I Dream of Jeannie inspired samba set to the show's theme music last night was actually quite cute, despite the fact that Larry Hagman's character Major Nelson didn't wear glasses, least of all ones with a big honking piece of nerd tape in the middle. Geez! Do rich people not watch old TV reruns? I actually thought the glasses improved Mark's look, though. It kinda transformed him into a retro daddy. And be sure to watch the results show tonight because host Tom Bergeron has promised a "1950s-inspired performance that will blow the roof off." They must know that I watch!
More About: People , Retro , Characters , Char

Swing Out Sisters
2007-10-22 17:15:00
The Puppini Sisters have a new album out! C'mon, you should be as excited as I am because this is the closest thing my generation will ever have to The Andrews Sisters. How they managed to sneak out a CD right under my nose is beyond me, but this one is called The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo and like the sisters' first release, it features renditions of retro classics as well as more modern tunes. Tracks on The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo include Spooky, Walk Like an Egyptian, Crazy in Love (yes, Beyonce's song), and Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (of which I am proud to announce I know all of the words to.) Check out their official site for previews of some of these songs. I want to know where the ladies buy or who makes their retro clothing. They've got the whole 1940s pin-up look down pat. I think I like the track selection on the first album better, especially as it contains a sung version of In the Mood. Also for some reason, the CD is an import and therefore expensive ($38.99) on...
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