"The 1960s Pop-Rock Music and TV Shows Net" Roundup for December 2008

The 1960s Pop-Rock Music and TV Shows Net" aired the first three weeks of the month, however, was not held on the 24th or 31st due to Christmas Eve and New Years Eve, respectfully. There was good participation on the Net with 12 different stations checking in despite this being a very hectic month with the two major holidays, Christmas and New Years. Stations making the "PA" (Perfect Attendance) List were K7DMF (Dave in Vail), N7PHX (Jim in Tempe), KE7GRV (Terry in Tempe), K1ATV (Bil in Mesa), and KE7FQL (John in Phoenix). There were a lot of terrific trivia questions covering both '60s rock music and TV shows plus the three featured segments of the Net, "This Week In 1960s Rock and Roll History", "#1 Hits For The Week Of.....", and "This Week In 1960s Television History".

One of the television trivia questions asked during the December 10th Net triggered some lively and engaging discusssion. The TV question read, "In the 1965 TV series, "Get Smart", the Chief, played by Edward Platt, drove what type of car that sometimes Agent 86 also drove occassionally?" The correct answer is "a 1968 Ford Shelby Mustang convertible". There is no doubt that this was an extremely difficult question to answer, one that probably only a true "Get Smart" fan would know. No one correctly answered the question, however, it did elicit some additional classic car discussion including what other cars were used in making the popular sit-com. I was only too happy to do further research into the cars used on the show to "make up" for posing such an incredibly difficult question. The results of my research showed that in addition to the Shelby Mustang, there were four other cars used during the shows five year run, including a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger Mark I, the bright red convertible seen in the opening credits during the first two seasons and always associated with the show. Other cars used included a gold 1969 Opel GT used by Maxwell Smart in season five, a blue VW Karmen Ghia used in the opening credits in seasons three and four, and a Ferrari 250 GT driven by Smart in the pilot episode, only. Thank you, guys for some enlightening discussion on the cars of "Get Smart"!   

I truly feel blessed and fortunate to have been able to spend the Christmas Holiday on the sandy beaches of Waikiki Beach in beautiful Honolulu, Hawaii. This tropical Paradise was certainly a great place to relax while also being able to see many of the buildings and iconic places on the island of Oahu used in taping "Hawaii Five-O", one of the longest running police dramas in television history. The show aired for 12 seasons, from 1968-1980 and starred the late Jack Lord. A hard-working actor and perfectionist, Lord was passionate about his acting craft and demanded excellence from all the many other actors on the show, as well. Nearly all of the 283 episodes were taped on location in Hawaii where Lord would retire following the end of the program and remain until his death in January 1998. Jack Lord not only loved acting, but also the Hawaiian people, culture and state he called home.

 During his years of retirement, Lord was fond of taking walks around the expansive Kahala Mall near his home in East Oahu. He could frequently be seen strolling the property in shorts, an Aloha shirt and straw hat, always embracing a big smile. Six years after his death, a 40 pound bronze bust of Lord on a rock-like pedestal was placed on the east side of the mall just outside Macy's Department Store where it remains to this day. I was thrilled to personally see Lord in bronze which elicited many fond memories of the show and the now-famous line always associated with the actor/show, "Book'em, Danno!" 

The Internet companion to the Net, "CQ Hams Still Groovin' In The 60s", continues to develope and expand with new material being added each week. Recently added articles in the "DID YOU KNOW....." section included "60s Songs That Make You Feel Good", "Love(Can Make You Happy)" and Mercy, and "Swamp Pop Musics Foray Into 1960s Rock and Roll" (The Biography of Dale and Grace). In the "Brain Teasers and Trivia" section, a series of five "1960s Rock and Roll Artists Real Names Tests" were added. If you haven't tested your knowledge of 60s recording artists and their real names, give it a try.... you might surprise yourself!

And please don't forget that your suggestions, comments and questions for the website are always welcome!

If you live in southcentral Arizona, are visiting, or just passing through, please join us on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 pm on the 224.500 repeater (N7EOJ) located at 9,100' above Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains for the Net. Everyone "into the '60s" is welcome!

73',
John  N7LQR
Maricopa, Arizona