Nowadays Olive Can't Even Write

Hey there! Welcome to my first countercultural history highlight post! This marks the beginning of a new series of content I will be releasing every other week on Wednesdays. As today is my promised day of return, however, this one is the exception to that rule. Thanks for your patience through all of these updates and I hope you'll stick around! Ah, the Summer of Love. Most of us have heard of it, but many aren't sure of the specifics. Kicking off our first countercultural history highlight with the anniversary of this historical phenomenon's start, let's get into it! Fantasy Fair & Magic Mountain Festival, June 1967, via realsanfranciscotours One of the biggest myths surrounding the Summer of Love is the year. Commonly thought to have taken place in 1969 due to the year's significant contributions to 60s and early 70s counterculture, as well as an unofficial form of the historic get-together that was staged that year. The real deal actually took place in 1967 ...

Ah, Buffalo Springfield - there's not too many times in a year where I write on this band, but when I do get the chance, it's only fitting I celebrate them! Today marks 57 years since their very first gig. Let's look back on what led up to it. Credit: CBS/Getty Images Stephen Stills and Neil Young met in 1965 at Thunder Bay, Ontario-based club The Fourth Dimension while they were still with The Company (which was a spin-off of the Au Go Go Singers) and The Squires respectively. The Company, however, broke up at the end of the tour they were on at the time, and after an unsuccessful audition to join The Monkees, Stills was told by record producer Barry Friedman that work would be available as long as he assembled a band. He invited former Au Go Go Singers alumn Richie Furay and former Squires bassist Ken Koblun, who ended up leaving rather quickly in favor of joining 3's A Crowd. In 1966, Young met bassist Bruce Palmer, who was playing for The Mynah Birds at the time. Th...

On the night of March 25, 1968, The Monkees TV show's 58th and final episode, titled "Mijacgeo", was aired on NBC. The story involves Nez, Davy, and Micky coming across a pulsing eye on their TV set that freezes people to the screen while searching through the house for Peter, who has already fallen victim to the eye's curse. It was up to the remaining three from that point forward to investigate and free not only their friend, but all of the other victims as well. Source: Magnet Magazine The show came to an end as The Monkees were growing tired of the formula they had to follow, and were given an ultimatum by NBC to either stick with it or else the show gets cancelled. Two seasons was certainly enough time to go without significant change, in my opinion. As lovably dorky and whimsical as the show could be, it had its time. All good things must come to and end. However, if you would like to go back and watch it, Dailymotion seems like a great source to watch individua...

"Purple Haze" , the second single by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, was released in the UK on this day in 1967.  Source:  Discogs Recording for the song began on January 11, 1967 at De Lane Lea Studios located in London, England. According to drummer Mitch Mitchell, he and bassist Noel Redding learned the song while recording and had it down by the third take. The basic track was completed in 4 hours, and the following days spent on the song focused solely on refining its sound. The final track was finished on February 8th. In terms of lyrics and meaning, "Purple Haze"  has many different interpretations, and even Hendrix himself never gave just one answer for it. Originally titled  "Purple Haze - Jesus Saves" , the song features imagery based off of the 1966 novel  Night of Light  written by Philip José Farmer. The story took place on a distant planet that produced a purplish haze that was known to disorient its inhabitants. Another explanation given was th...

Today we remember Rolling Stones founder and multi-instrumentalist Brian Lewis Hopkin Jones on the 54th anniversary of his death. Source: Morgan Media Partners/Ed Caraeff Jones, who had already established himself as a blues musician at the time, posted an advertisement in the May 2nd, 1962 edition of Jazz News looking for musicians to audition for an R&B group. Pianist Ian Stewart was the first to respond (and was a member of the band until his removal in 1963) and Mick Jagger followed soon after, bringing his childhood friend Keith Richards to rehearsals, where he joined as well. The three members shared a flat for a year, and recruited bassist Bill Wyman due to the fact that he always had cigarettes as well as a spare VOX AC30 guitar amp. In January of 1963, the four stones had convinced drummer Charlie Watts to join. It was at that moment that a significant piece of rock history was truly born. In the band's early days, Jones proved to not only be a gifted multi-instrumenta...

While today marks what would have been the 80th birthday of former Beatle George Harrison, it also marks the 8th birthday of the George Harrison tree's replacement, which couldn't have been needed for a more amusing reason. Source: Anna Pantoliano The original tree, which was a Canary Island pine, was planted on Harrison's birthday a few months after his death on this day in 2002. It managed to survive until 2014, when it was eaten by beetles. Ceremony organizer Paula Greenfield blames California's long-standing drought for the infestation, adding  “It’s because of the drought that beetles are able to get into the trees to begin with. I’ve had neighbors who’ve lost trees during this drought — when they take them down they’re totally hollowed out.” The replacement tree was planted the following year on what would have been his 72nd birthday. In order to avoid this one having the same ironic fate as the first tree, a yew pine was chosen instead. Less likely to be eaten b...

Today we remember former Monkees bassist and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tork on the 4th anniversary of his death. Source: Michael Ochs Archives On March 3rd, 2009, he had announced on his official website that he had been diagnosed with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a cancer of the head and neck. He writes: "It's a bad news/good news situation. It's so rare a combination (on the tongue) that there isn't a lot of experience among the medical community about this particular combination. On the other hand, the type of cancer it is, never mind the location, is somewhat well known, and the prognosis, I'm told, is good." He began radiation therapy the following day in New York City, and all seemed well until June 11th, when a spokesperson for Tork reported that the cancer had returned. He was reportedly given an 80% chance of shrinking and containing the tumor, and underwent surgery soon after. Post-recovery, he had an interview with the Washington Post where he stated...

 On February 1, 2008, US space agency NASA announced its decision to beam the Beatles' " Across the Universe " into space. It was the first song to be used as such.  Source: Harper Collins/Press Association The song was to be aimed at the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years away as a means to celebrate the song's 40th anniversary. It was officially beamed on the 4th through the deep space network, which is a series of giant radio antennas used to support spacecraft missions. Paul McCartney wrote to the space agency, stating: "Amazing! Well done, NASA. Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul." Yoko Ono also added a statement. "I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe." As a result of the event, fans have dubbed February 4 as Across the Universe Day. If you would like to read more on the event, you can check it out on NASA's website here . Happy listening!

On January 31, 2009, former Buffalo Springfield drummer Dewey Martin passed away.  Source: Getty Images Martin, born Walter Milton Dwayne Midkiff, was found in his apartment located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. He was discovered by his roommate the day after his death. According to a Lisa Lenes, a longtime friend of his, he had struggled with his health for quite some time, and is believed to have died of natural causes. He was 68 years old. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame alongside the other members of Buffalo Springfield, which included Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Richie Furay, and Bruce Palmer. Outside of the band's short-lived tenure, he did session work for the Monkees, and has also been a member of various other bands such as Sir Raleigh and the Coupons, The Standells, the Modern Folk Quartet, the Dillards, and Medicine Ball.  From 2008 up until his death, he became a cast member of OUTLAW RADIO, a live internet radio program ran by ...

Today we wish Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason a happy 79th birthday! Mason was born on January 27, 1944, in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. He has been the only constant member of Pink Floyd since its formation in 1965, and in 2018, founded Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets in order to reintroduce Pink Floyd's older material to more fans.  Source: Jorgen Angel/Redferns He's had an eventful 2022, starting with the recording of  "Hey Hey Rise Up"  with Pink Floyd and Andriy Khlyvnyuk of Boom Box on April 8 in support of Ukraine. He completed a North American tour with his Saucerful of Secrets from September 22-October 31, and later collaborated with a plethora of musicians including Ozzy Osbourne, Noddy Holder, and Andy Taylor  on "This Christmas Time" in support of an online global project led by the Cancer Awareness Trust. More information on that here . While there is no current news on what Nick Mason is currently up to, I look forward to finding out ...

January 24 seems to be a rather significant day for folk musicians and fans alike, due to the birthdays of quite a few important figures. This includes Michael Chapman! Source: Rex/Shutterstock Chapman, who would have turned 82 today, started out as a jazz musician, but became well known in the folk clubs in the late '60s. He incorporated jazz, folk, and ragtime stylings into his playing, and straddled between the folk and progressive rock scenes.  He released over 50 albums throughout his career, and continued to tour up until his death in 2021. Despite many ups-and-downs throughout his career, he always kept going.  If you haven't already, I suggest checking him out! With a discography as impressively long as his, I guarantee you'll find something you'll like. Happy listening! Note: Because his discography is far too large for me to get into here without risking my eligibility for monetization in the future, I can't type up a list of albums like I normally try to ...

 Today we celebrate the birthday of one of rock and roll's most powerful and unique singers, Janis Joplin! Janis Lyn Joplin rose to fame in 1967 after her performance at the Monterey Pop Festival as the front woman of psychedelic rock band Big Brother & the Holding Company, which she recorded two albums with before departing in 1969. She toured solo for the remainder of her career with the exception of her backing bands. The Kozmic Blues Band lasted from January to December of 1969, while the Full Tilt Boogie Band (formerly named Main Squeeze) lasted from around April up until her death in October of 1970.  Source: Lisa Law She had a unique and powerful voice that continues to set her apart from other rock singers to this day, and remains one of the top-selling musicians in the US as a result with over 18.5 million album sales to her name. I often like to joke that Janis "raised me" due to the fact that I grew up on her music. Many memories of my childhood involve mus...

January 18, 2022 - Today we remember session drummer Dallas Taylor, who is best known for his work with Clear Light, Crosby Stills, Nash, & Young, Manassas, and more. He passed away at age 66 due to complications from viral pneumonia and kidney disease. Source: Jeff Allen Dallas Woodrow Taylor Jr. was born on April 7, 1948 in Denver Colorado, but grew up in San Antonio, Texas. As a young adult he found a small bit of success with the psychedelic rock band Clear Light in the late 60s, but found further success with Crosby, Stills, and Nash's debut album, as well as their follow-up with Neil Young, Déjà Vu , alongside bassist Greg Reeves.  He also appeared on Stephen Stills's first three solo albums, ( Stephen Stills , Stephen Stills 2 , and Stills)  as well as Graham Nash's debut solo album, Songs for Beginners .  In 1974,  Taylor played  in a quartet backing Van Morrison at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and played percussion on the Byrds' 1973 reunion album By...

January 10, 2022 - David Robert Jones, known by his stage name of David Bowie, passed away on this day in 2016 due to liver cancer. He had just turned 69 two days beforehand. Source: Masayoshi Sukita Active as a musician from 1962 up until 2016, he started out in a band called the Konrads at age 15. He eventually left the band, citing his frustration with his bandmates' "limited aspirations" and joined the King Bees. Bowie went under his first personal management contract with Leslie Conn, but quit the band in less than a month.  He then joined the Manish Boys for a brief time before joining the Lower Third, where he adopted the stage name of David Bowie to avoid confusion between him and Davy Jones of the Monkees. He penned his first single under the name in 1966, which was " Can't Help Thinking About Me ". He was in one more group, Feathers, before embarking on a solo career, and found commercial success in 1969 with his first hit, " Space Oddity...

Today we celebrate the birthday of James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, who turns 79 today! He started playing guitar at the age of 12, and by 13, had appeared on Huw Wheldon's show, All Your Own in a skiffle quartet. When asked by Wheldon what he wanted to do post graduation, he replied, "I want to do biological research to find a cure for cancer, if it isn't discovered by then." Source: Michael Ochs Archives Page eventually left secondary school (which is like a combination of middle and high school for us American folk) to pursue music full time, but eventually enrolled in Sutton Art College when he kept coming down with infectious mononucleosis. In the late '60s, he joined the Yardbirds, although he was initially reluctant. He was offered Eric Clapton's spot but declined out of loyalty to his friend, but ended up replacing former bassist Paul Samwell-Smith before moving to 2nd lead guitar weeks later.  He joined Led Zeppelin in 1968, whose sound was large...

Today we remember Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett, co-founder and former member of Pink Floyd, who would have been 77 years old today.  Source: The Pink Floyd HyperBase /Aubrey Powell As a musician, Barrett was a rather innovative guitarist before the peak of his decline, known for mixing slide guitar with echo using a lighter and delay pedal to create a lot of the sounds present in Pink Floyd's music. In the same vein, he loved exploring different effects, and playing around with distortion, feedback, and dissonance as well. As a vocalist, he sang with a heavy southern English accent, and was often cited as one of the first to do so in rock music. Many artists, such as Paul McCartney, Marc Bolan, the Flaming Lips, David Bowie, have all cited him as an influence on their work.  Barrett was active as a musician for nine years, from 1963 to 1974 before disappearing from the public eye permanently. According to his sister, Rosemary Breen, he dedicated himself to painting and took ...

Source: Michael Putland/Getty Images January 3, 2023 - Today marks the 78th birthday of one of my favorite musicians, Stephen Stills! Mainly known for his work with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, as well as Buffalo Springfield, Stills has made quite the name for himself within the music industry. He's a rather unique guitarist. From soaking strings in barbecue sauce to flipping pickups, he isn't afraid to get a little weird when it comes to experimenting. On top of that, he would use alternate tunings such as E E E E B E and D A D F# A D along with standard tunings. Much of what he's incorporated into his own playing style is drawn from various genres such as rock, folk, country, blues, gospel, and Latin music.  He is also a rather accomplished multi-instrumentalist, with instruments such as the bass, organ, keyboards, banjo, drums, clavinet, and more.  Stills, being one of my personal favorite musicians, is part of the reason why my blog has its name. Taken from the Buffalo Spr...

Today we remember guitarist Larry "Rhino" Reinhardt on the 11th anniversary of his passing.  Source: Michael Putland/Getty Images Reinhardt was mainly known as a member of Iron Butterfly and Captain Beyond, however, he was in numerous bands throughout his career. These include the Load, the Second Coming, the Ryno Band, and Mad Dancer, as well as a solo career. He was active as a musician until 2011, save for the time he temporarily retired from the music industry during the '90s.  Just short of a year after his final album was released, Reinhardt passed away at the age of 63 due to cirrhosis of the liver.  Today is a great day to listen to the music made by this psychedelic and southern rock legend. Are you a fan of his work? Happy listening.

Today is a special day for the Monkees, as two of their beloved members, Nez and Davy, share a birthday! Davy Jones, an active singer from 1961 up until his death in 2012, was considered a teen idol in the peak of his fame. He also had a love for horses, and held a short career as a jockey before fully committing to music and acting. He would have been 77 today. Source: Monkees Live Almanac Michael "Nez" Nesmith, who was an active guitarist from 1965 up until his death, learned to play guitar after being gifted one by his mother and stepfather. He was fresh out of the air force, and learned to play as he went as he worked with bands of various genres. Those genres include folk, country, and rock. Nez would have turned 80 years old today. As we remember these two on their special day, I should also note that the Monkees show is apparently free to view on Tubi, if you would either like to see it for the first time or take a trip down memory lane.  Happy listening!

Today, December 29, marks 54 years since the second day of the Miami Pop Festival.  Held from the dates of December 28-30, The Miami Pop Festival made history as the first major rock festival to take place on the east coast, and included bands and artists such as Joni Mitchell, Canned Heat, Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, Chuck Berry, and many more. The total crowd size for all three days was estimated to be around 100,000 people.  At the festival, concertgoers received comic books commemorating their favorite musicians as superheroes in the form of the official program and map. If you're a collector (or just a fan) and would like one, there are some for sale, but they will run you a pretty penny. They're valued around 200-400 dollars now. Source: Heritage Auctions I've found a touched-up version of one of the promotional posters, which includes details on when performances are scheduled. There were two stages, several hundred yards apart, known as the Flower Stage and the Fl...