The Fifth Dimension
Welcome,
I'm Stefan, and this is the fifth edition of Looking For The Good Stuff, conceived and written at my HQ in Berlin, Germany. Just like Oscar Wilde, I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.
Let the sunshine in!
Three ways from tomorrow
John Seiter was once the drummer in Spanky and Our Gang, known for sunshine pop gems such as Lazy Day, Like to Get to Know You and Sunday Will Never Be The Same. He and the lead singer, Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, are the only two surviving members.
In today's edition of the American newspaper The Telegraph, based in Alton, Illinois, there's an interview with John Seiter, looking back on the '60s. First, he talks about his roots in the folk rock movement and his work for Judy Henske, Tim Buckley and Odetta. Then he gives a glimpse of his time in Spanky and Our Gang, their fast rise and the sudden stop in 1968 when Malcolm Hale sadly dies and joins the 27 Club. After that, John Seiter joined The Turtles and played the drums on the group's final album, Turtle Soup.
This was a fascinating read, and I hope to find more about John Seiter and Spanky and Our Gang! When will there be a biography? Or a documentary?
Cool, cool water
"Political" is certainly not the first adjective you have in mind when thinking of The Beach Boys! But there was a time, in the '70s, when the band embraced social consciousness and critiqued police brutality, the Vietnam war and the coup against Salvador Allende in Chile. Surf sure was up.
The turn was orchestrated by Jack Riley, who became The Beach Boys' manager after the release of Sunflower in 1970. This gave them a new image, a new aesthetic and a new audience, Grant Wong writes in PopMatters today.
Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971 - a compilation of songs recorded during the making of Sunflower and Surf's Up - was released three weeks ago, and it's highly recommended! The five cd edition contains 133 songs and more than six hours of music. At My Window is one of my current favourites.
Add some music to your day while waiting for the documentary Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road to reach the cinema screens and the streaming services!
Where do we go from here?
Koop Kooper's latest selection of cocktail jazz streamed from his penthouse lounge in Sydney, Australia, is a perfect pathway to the weekend! And Bill Evans' What Is This Thing Called Love managed to slip in!
That's all for today. I will be back again on Monday with a new selection of the good stuff.
All the best,
Stefan