Far be it from me to toot my own proverbial horn, but it is not entirely uncommon for people to tell me that I am a good dancer (what else am I supposed to believe, having won my 5th-grade dance contest?!!). It occurs to me, however, that there exists a slight possibility that I cut people off with an awkwardly-aggressive "thank you" before they can complete the thought; in hindsight, I'll concede that the likely conclusion to these compliments of my terpsichorean talents is, "for a white fella," or "for someone your size," or "for a guy suffering from your disorder." That being said, I think enthusiasm counts for a lot, and I am nothing if not an enthusiastic dancer.
I'll really never know if I am a good dancer; until the terrorists capture me, forcing me to watch an endless loop of me hurling myself about the dance floor until I lapse into a psychedelic freak out à la Victoria Barkley in The Big Valley, I refuse to even think about what I look like in motion (my mom says I'm poetry personified). I much prefer watching footage of legitimate dancers; this clip of one of Hong Kong cinema's biggest stars, Fung Bo Bo, might not be a psychedelic freak out, but it does give me everything I want from a choreographed, mid-tempo, 1960s, Eastern, movie-musical dance routine.
I think it's love!
There is something about summertime that brings me back to my first and true dance love - 60s party dances/go-go. Giving all due credit to Candy Johnson and the perfection of the AIP beach party movies, summer makes me want to do my thing, be it Mashed Potato or Shing-a-ling!
Or even the Watusi!!!
Do you like '60s dances? Is your dance style dictated by the season? Are you the enthusiastic one who always gets the dancing started only to later realize that you're a real-life Elaine Benes?
Do you ever have a moment about which you wish you had dreamt your entire life so that when it happens you can honestly say, "It's like a dream come true?" A few weeks ago I had such a moment when I heard that sweet siren of 60's, surfside song, Donna Loren.
Donna Loren is probably not a household name unless you and your family are total nerds about 60's television programming and the brilliant movies produced by American International Pictures. A featured player in many of AIP's best, Donna Loren gave voice to the lovelorn, beach-bound "teens" of such cinematic wonders as Bikini Beach, Pajama Party, and Beach Blanket Bingo.
"Love's A Secret Weapon" - Donna Loren in Bikini Beach
"Among the Young" - Donna Loren in Pajama Party
"It Only Hurts When I Cry" - Donna Loren in Beach Blanket Bingo
To be perfectly honest, I did not have a lifelong dream of meeting Donna Loren. Then again, I never dreamt that I would get the chance to meet her. Those bashful doe eyes, that pert little nose, the plaintive voice - Donna Loren is a living dream. As boring as I think my life can be, I only have to review a month's worth of photographs to realize how very fortunate I am. One moment we're on a wacky whirlwind road trip and the next we're meeting a contemporary of Frankie & Annette!
I have said it before but for the sake of this photo, it bears repeating; I have never gone through
a "goth" phase; I'm just too goofy. For Donna, I could definitely change my ways...if'n there was
a horror hootenanny! Dig that crazy spider!
(Source)
Saturday, April 13, 2013, marked the Los Angeles benefit for Norton Records (another victim of Hurricane Sandy). Organized by three Los Angeles-based music aficionados, DJ Howie Pyro, The Real Boss Hoss, and Deke Dickerson, the benefit show featured many incredible bands - The Phantom Surfers, The Go-Nuts, Untamed Youth, and Thee Cormans (ahem). As awesome as all of the acts were, the real highlight of the day-long concert was hearing Donna Loren. Never having had the chance to meet my dancing idol (and Loren's fellow AIP star) Candy Johnson, and coming on the heels of the inimitable Annette Funicello's passing, it was a real moment for me to see and to meet Donna.
May I say that she looks INCREDIBLE!!!
Unfortunately, my pictures didn't turn out well, but she was an absolute
stunner in a gold mini skirt that she made for herself in the 60's.
"Muscle Bustle" - Donna Loren backed by Deke Dickerson
Of course, the sound quality on my camera is weak
but I still had to share her performance with you.
"Muscle Bustle" - Donna Loren in Muscle Beach Party
Ms. Loren's acting credits extend far beyond the beach party movies. With regular and guest-starring roles on The Monkees, The Milton Berle Show, Batman, Dr. Kildare, Gomer Pyle: USMC, and others, she was a fixture of the 60's small screen as well. And now she is a fixture of our wacky tacky scrapbook!!!
Our pal, Teresia, of The Mentalettes, Donna Loren, Mary, and Mr. Tiny
Donna was gorgeous, gracious, and extremely generous for the .003 seconds that we
had to meet her and snap a quick photo. Understandably, there was a major line
forming to behind us to do the very same.
You know it is a pretty wonderful life when dreams you didn't even have are coming true! Thanks to the fellas for putting on a great show! And thanks to Donna for an incredible performance and some great memories!
Do you have a star encounter that would be a dream come true? Let us know; until then, we'll be doing the "Muscle Bustle."
The Banshee wailed, "You've got 100 Followers!!!" Who, me???
Zowee!!! 100 followers - I never thought I'd see the day! I have to teach myself that putting too much energy into comparison is never a good thing. It can be a little discouraging seeing other blogs that have hundreds, even thousands, of followers and wondering if anybody out there even knows that this blog exists. Having said that, I am really grateful that even one person would be interested in what I have to say! I hope that wacky tacky makes for some worthwhile reading or at least for a quick diversion from work or school. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to everybody for reading, with a special thanks to Retro Sandie for being our 100th follower!
"Thanks" - Bing Crosby
I don't know about you, but I think the auspiciousness of the occasion calls for our very first GIVEAWAY!!!
I always wondered if there was a place for a blog like wacky tacky. It includes fashion, but it certainly isn't a fashion blog. It covers vintage roadside attractions, but it certainly isn't a roadside blog. It features some crazy arts & crafts, but I certainly wouldn't classify it as a crafting blog. It showcases the amazing interiors of some awesome houses, but it certainly isn't competing with Architectural Digest. We have book, movie, and restaurant reviews. We have thrift store scores and musical interludes. We even highlight killer parks and wacky tacky icons. What in the heck is this blog? Is it even real?
Probably not. Real blogs have real giveaways with real rules about reposting, twittering, double reposting your twitterings in triplicate, and tweeting your repost in the comments section of your best friend's second most popular post about cats riding unicorns. Frankly, that is too much for me to think about. Three rules I will give you, great rules and small, but break just one and get nothing at all!
Rules for entry:
1. Follow this blog (new followers are definitely welcome)
2. Tell at least one friend about our blog (honor system)
3. Tell me one thing (in the comments section) that (a)you truly love about me, this blog, or both,
and (b)one thing that you think could be improved about me, this blog, or both; this will
count as your entry.
To prime the proverbial pump, I will get you started with a few examples:
(a)
"Oh, Mr. Tiny, I love it when you wear a blue shirt because it really brings out your eyes."
- or -
"This blog has changed my life in the following ways: I had never laughed before I found your blog. In fact, I thought I was incapable of human emotion before I read your treatise on date shakes. And don't get me started on your coverage of bowling alleys. I have forsaken my traditional Episcopalian upbringing to worship at the shrine of wacky tacky."
- or -
"This blog is better than being abandoned in the woods...but only by a little."
(b)
"I think your blog is great BUT it could stand a solid dose of something more - Mr. Tiny in a bathing suit."
- or -
"I have been doing some serious thinking about the state of your blog; I would love to see more peanut puppet shows."
- or -
"Don't change a thing, except maybe get braces. Your grill is jacked up!"
Now for the good stuff - up for grabs is this handmade basket purse created by Mr. Tiny and a set of four collectable pinbacks made exclusively for followers of wacky tacky. It was a bit difficult finding just the right thing to giveaway because while my audience is diverse, it is probably 93.7% female. So, in the event that a male entrant wins the giveaway, I figured he can give the purse to his wife, girlfriend, coworker, mail carrier, dental hygienist, or female relative, and then wear the pins proudly on his lapel.
I think it strikes a wacky tacky note.
With the vintage burlap and millinery adornments, cheery gingham ribbon
and lining, and oversized capacity, you'll be all set for some summertime.
I've subsequently realized that this is not the purse's most flattering angle,
but it has gotten too late to take a photo without the flash, so, there you go.
There you have it. It's as easy as one, two, three. Follow wacky tacky, tell a friend about wacky tacky, and leave a comment about wacky tacky. The winner will be chosen at random at an arbitrary time (7:03pm PST) after an arbitrary period of entry (one week) and will be announced in an upcoming blog post. Odds of winning are entirely dependent on the number of entries. The giveaway is open to wacky tacky followers anywhere in the world as long as they have an address recognized by the USPS.
What can be said about Candy Johnson that hasn't already be shimmied?! Little to no explanation is required to prove her wacky tacky credentials. Candy Johnson is not just a member of wacky tacky, she is the President of the San Gabriel, CA chapter.
Bikini Beach (1964)
Candy was the little firecracker in the Beach Party movies at American International Pictures that ponied, watusi'd, shimmied and shook to the delight of audiences and to the injury of young surfers and beach bums. Her legendary bumps could knock you flat!
Stand back!
Her film credits include:
Beach Party (1963) - credited as "The Perpetual Motion Dancer"
Muscle Beach Party (1964) - Candy
Bikini Beach (1964) - Candy
Pajama Party (1964) - Candy
The "Perpetual Motion Dancer"
Even in a still shot, she seems to keep moving!
There is not a lot of information on Candy Johnson to be found on the internet. She has a lackluster IMDb and just a wisp of a Wikipedia entry. The real Candy Johnson may be hard to find but there is a plethora of other Candy Johnsons in the world ranging from male saxophone players to teachers to "models." Something that I did not know about San Gabriel native, Candy Johnson, was that she recorded songs on her own label "Canjo" as Candy Johnson & Her Exciters.
She may have acted, she may have recorded, but nothing, NOTHING, compares to the way this girl DANCED!
Beach Party (1963)
As a part-time, semi-professional dancer myself, I am just a little embarrassed to admit how many moves I have stolen from Candy. Her dancing has always been a source of inspiration and fascination - she did it all barefoot! I think my particular fondness for the Beach Party movies stems from the fact that I have always lived in Southern California and dreamed that when I went to the beach the whole gang would be there surfing, dancing, sky diving, drag racing, rum running and having a pajama party. (For those of you who have never been to SoCal, it is EXACTLY like the Beach Party movies all of the time!)
Sometimes the way to the top is by twisting on the backs of others.
I don't know where Candy Johnson is but I have a feeling that she's dancing.
I just finished watching The Boys, the documentary about the Sherman Brothers. I've always known who they were and loved many of their songs but WOW, these guys were incredible. The exact genesis of their career at the Disney Studios was a bit of mystery to me; it turns out they got their start writing a couple of novelty tunes for Annette Funicello before Walt hired them as full-time composers/lyricists. I knew that they were the genius behind many of Annette's successful records (I have her complete recordings) but I was under the mistaken notion that "Tall Paul" was specifically about Annette's relationship with Paul Anka.
Anyhow, the reason that I bring any of this up is because I had been toying with the idea of a blog about Annette and, having just watched a film in which Annette played such an integral part, the timing just seemed right.
I have always loved Annette. Our family was raised on three things: live-action Disney films, the beach movies from American International Pictures and Skippy Peanut Butter. Moreover, Back to the Beach (the 80's send-up of said beach movies) was a staple in our regularly scheduled programming. From this movie we partook not only of the entertainment value but also of the depths of its wisdom. We increased our capacity for understanding the differences and, more importantly, the similarities that unify us as a human race; "Not many people can cha-cha-cha, not everybody can do the twist, but everybody can do the ska" - a valuable life lesson indeed!
Annette + Aunt Becky + Fishbone = riveting entertainment
As interested as I am to find the man who put the "bop" in the "bop-shoo-bop," I am even more interested to find the genius who decided to put the Italian in the ocean!
There is just no denying that heritage!
The combination of Annette's Italian lineage, her bouffant hair-do and the roar of the crashing waves is really what gives Annette her wacky tacky street cred. Her films further cement her status as an icon of wacky tacky with every viewing. Her music is nothing to be overlooked either; "Rock-a-Polka," "Rock-a-Charleston," "Rock-a-Cha" - is there anything this girl couldn't rock-a???
Pajama Party (1964)
Pajama Party is definitely one of my favorites - Annette, Tommy Kirk, Buster, Keaton, Elsa Lanchester, Candy Johnson, Martians, Indians, pajama/pool parties, and "Stuffed Animal" - (one of the most unintentionally-hilarious/perverse songs in the Annette Funicello songbook!!!!!)
Unfortunately, this is the best clip that youtube has to offer but you get the idea.
The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964)
Another of my favorites is The Misadventures of Merlin Jones. The opening credits are awesome!
Its sequel, The Monkey's Uncle (1965), afforded The Beach Boys the unprecedented opportunity to sing the movie's theme song with Annette.
So much is made of the Ginger vs. Mary Ann debate but I find the more interesting choice to be the one between Annette and Deborah Walley. Their differences appear to be akin to those of the stranded castaways - the sexy redhead versus the more wholesome brunette. They shared so many similarities, however, from their rise at Disney to stardom at AIP that I find the choice to be much more telling. So instead of going on and on about Annette's career and the sadness of her protracted battle with MS, I will let you decide for yourselves. Who do you go for - Annette or Deborah?
They were both the sweetheart, girl-next-door.
They both had great 60's hair.
They were both killer, beach babes worthy of Bond Girl status!
So, who is it going to be? I would say that you have to choose, but thankfully, you don't. They are both amazing! Overall, Anette may eke out a victory over Deborah only because of the rich musical legacy and the merchandising!
