Category Archives: Uncategorized

Tonight is the start of Hanukkah. This year, my first Hanukkah gift to you is to remind you that there is no Kathy Lee Gifford Hanukkah Special. Ok bunkies, today is the fourth and last Sunday of the Advent season. The day is called the Fourth Sunday of Advent, sorry no fancy french or LatinContinue reading “Remember that ACME has a a fine selection of candles”

December 17, 1991 –Gilbert O’Sullivan’s  Alone Again (Naturally) was ‘sampled’ in Biz Markie’s Alone Again, and the United States Federal Court for the Southern District of New York agreed with the 70’s artist that Biz needed to get permission to use his music in a very landmark case. That permission typically involves direct payment orContinue reading “Biz Markie and landmark copyright ruling”

December 17, 1971 –David Bowie releases his fourth album, Hunky Dory, which opens with the iconic Changes, on this date. The album was the first to feature all the members of the band that would become known the following year as Ziggy Stardust’s Spiders From Mars. Two singles were released from the album: Changes/ AndyContinue reading “Hunky Dory was dropped”

December 17, 1977 – Elvis Costello and The Attractions made a rare United States television debut on Saturday Night Live when Sid Vicious and the Sex Pistols failed to show up for the gig. Producer Lorne Michaels refused to allow Costello to perform Radio, Radio because of the song’s criticism of the broadcasting industry, butContinue reading “Elvis Costello on SNL for the first time”

December 17, 1989 – Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire, also known as The Simpsons Christmas Special, the first full-length episode of The Simpsons, premiered on this date. This special was not originally intended to be The Simpsons pilot. Production problems, particularly with the first produced episode, The Simpsons: Some Enchanted Evening, saw the showContinue reading “The Simpson series premiered”

December 16, 1965 –NASA was in a piss-proud mood. Days before, Gemini 6 (Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra, space cowboys aboard) and Gemini 7 (Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, rocket men aboard) had successfully rendezvoused in space. Just before Tom Stafford and Wally Schirra were about to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere, on this date, they radioedContinue reading “The song heard around the world (and beyond)”

December 16, 1966 –Jimi Hendrix‘ first single Hey Joe is released on this date. This is the song that started it all for Hendrix. After being discharged from the US Army in 1962, he worked as a backing musician for The Isley Brothers and Little Richard, and in 1966 performed under the name Jimmy JamesContinue reading “Hey Joe was dropped”

December 16, 1975 –The groundbreaking sitcom (for it’s time) One Day At A Time starring Bonnie Franklin, Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli premiered on this date. Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli are only five months apart in age. Bertinelli was the younger of the two, so Phillips was cast as the older sister.

December 16, 1951 –NBC-TV debuted Dragnet in a special preview on Chesterfield Sound Off Time on this date. (The show began officially on January 3, 1952.) The series opener ran in real time, and it contained several clock-on-the-wall shots to keep track of time. The story starts with the police frantically trying to meet aContinue reading “Dragnet premiered”

December 16, 1977 –Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta, went into general release on this date. Oh John, what a long strange trip it’s been since that polyester shirt. When Tony’s dad hits him in the back of the head during dinner, his retort of “just watch the hair!” and complained about being hit onContinue reading “Saturday Night Fever premiered”