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Tell It Like It Was

“excitations and good vibrations about the music of the sixties”

  • 50s Rock
  • 60s Rock
  • 70s Rock
  • Elvis
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  • Introduction to “Tell It Like It Was”

    Introduction to “Tell It Like It Was”

    Excitations and good vibrations about the music of the ’60s
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jan 1, 2019
    Introduction to “The Toppermost of the Poppermost”

    Introduction to “The Toppermost of the Poppermost”

    All about all of the articles about all of the #1 records of the ‘60s
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jan 1, 2019
    LATEST STORIES
    A Bit More on Fake Autographs on the Internet

    A Bit More on Fake Autographs on the Internet

    It is not uncommon for the rejection rate of autographs as fake to exceed 50 percent!
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Aug 21, 2020
    Punk Rock + Blue Note = Punk Note

    Punk Rock + Blue Note = Punk Note

    An introduction to artist/designer John Yates’ Punk Note ideations (in which he pays tribute to Francis Wolff and Miles Reid)
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jun 4, 2020
    Ain’t That a Shame What Wikipedia Did to Fats Domino’s First Album!

    Ain’t That a Shame What Wikipedia Did to Fats Domino’s First Album!

    If you have looked up the ROCK AND ROLLIN’ WITH FATS DOMINO album (Imperial LP-9004) on Wikipedia, you might want to read this next.
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Dec 13, 2019
    Bob Dylan’s BLONDE ON BLONDE as a Collectable Album

    Bob Dylan’s BLONDE ON BLONDE as a Collectable Album

    Distinguishing original copies of the ’60s from later pressings
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Nov 24, 2019
    The Mothers of Invention’s FREAK OUT! as a Collectable Album

    The Mothers of Invention’s FREAK OUT! as a Collectable Album

    Distinguishing original copies of the ’60s from later pressings
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Nov 23, 2019
    How I Made $2.61 in Only Four Days on Medium!

    How I Made $2.61 in Only Four Days on Medium!

    An Introduction to “Elvis: That’s The Way It Was,” a new Medium publication
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Nov 18, 2019
    “Someday We’ll Be Honky Tonk Women Together”

    “Someday We’ll Be Honky Tonk Women Together”

    Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1969 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Oct 1, 2019
    “Grazing in the Grass with Mrs. Robinson”

    “Grazing in the Grass with Mrs. Robinson”

    Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1968 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Sep 19, 2019
    What Is a “Record Album” and When Did the Term Originate?

    What Is a “Record Album” and When Did the Term Originate?

    A few words about 78 rpm albums, 33⅓ rpm albums, the White Album, and so-called double-albums
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Aug 29, 2019
    So, Like, What Is the Best Beach Boys Album Ever?

    So, Like, What Is the Best Beach Boys Album Ever?

    That depends on what you mean by “Beach Boys album”
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Aug 25, 2019
    Hey, there Georgy Girl, Penny Lane, and Ruby Tuesday!

    Hey, there Georgy Girl, Penny Lane, and Ruby Tuesday!

    Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1967 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jul 27, 2019
    “You Keep Me Hanging On on the Poor Side of Town”

    “You Keep Me Hanging On on the Poor Side of Town”

    Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1966 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jul 5, 2019
    Gene Clark’s First Record Echoed Bob Dylan

    Gene Clark’s First Record Echoed Bob Dylan

    For his single “Echoes,” Gene Clark donned a Bob Dylan mask
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jul 4, 2019
    Just When Was “Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers” Released?

    Just When Was “Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers” Released?

    Apparently not on the same day as the Byrds’ “Younger than Yesterday”
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jun 26, 2019
    Why Isn’t Gene Clark in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    Why Isn’t Gene Clark in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    Byrds founder a pivotal influence on folk-rock, psychedelia, country-rock, singer-songwriter, and Americana
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jun 22, 2019
    One Ghost Too Many: Buddy Holly Lives On

    One Ghost Too Many: Buddy Holly Lives On

    The author goes where many have gone before and can’t tell if his story is different or the same.
    Go to the profile of John Ross
    John Ross
    Jun 9, 2019
    Is “Pet Sounds” the Best Bloody Album Ever Made?

    Is “Pet Sounds” the Best Bloody Album Ever Made?

    Answering the objectively unanswerable can be fun!
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jun 9, 2019
    Let’s Hang On to Our Ticket to Ride

    Let’s Hang On to Our Ticket to Ride

    Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 records of 1965 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Jun 2, 2019
    Why Aren’t the Crew-Cuts in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    Why Aren’t the Crew-Cuts in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    The Canadian quartet played a pivotal role in getting black records on white radio stations in the US in the ’50s
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    May 23, 2019
    Why Isn’t Pat Boone in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

    Why Isn’t Pat Boone in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

    If we remove Elvis, Pat Boone would have been the King of Top 40 radio in the ’50s
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    May 19, 2019
    Why Isn’t Connie Francis in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    Why Isn’t Connie Francis in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    Connie held her own on the pop charts with such Hall of Famers as Fats Domino and Ricky Nelson
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    May 18, 2019
    Why Weren’t the Moody Blues in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    Why Weren’t the Moody Blues in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

    The band was inducted after waiting through nineteen years of eligibility (“Yippee!”)
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    May 17, 2019
    “Wild in the Streets” as Prescient Sociopolitical Satire

    “Wild in the Streets” as Prescient Sociopolitical Satire

    Do you really want a man in his sixties running the country?
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    May 16, 2019
    Walking the Stairway to Heaven with Little Roger & the Goosebumps

    Walking the Stairway to Heaven with Little Roger & the Goosebumps

    A real-life lesson on poking fun at Led Zeppelin
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    May 5, 2019
    60 of the Cheesiest Album Covers of the ’60s

    60 of the Cheesiest Album Covers of the ’60s

    A look at the unauthorized “pirate” albums of Taiwan
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Apr 30, 2019
    Bobby Tench, singer and guitarist

    Bobby Tench, singer and guitarist

    Rock, jazz, funk, and the short attention span of Jeff Beck
    Go to the profile of Lewis Shiner
    Lewis Shiner
    Apr 22, 2019
    Where Have All the Sex Kittens Gone, Long Time Passing?

    Where Have All the Sex Kittens Gone, Long Time Passing?

    Looking at Brigitte Bardot, Ann-Margret, and Eartha Kitt (who were sex kittens) and Diana Ross (who should have been)
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Apr 18, 2019
    “I Want to Hold Your Louie Louie”

    “I Want to Hold Your Louie Louie”

    Looking at the Toppermost of the Poppermost #1 Records of 1964 with John Ross and Lew Shiner
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Apr 14, 2019
    I Wanna Hold Your Hand Comes Back Around

    I Wanna Hold Your Hand Comes Back Around

    Robert Zemeckis’s first film is the best we’ll ever have about Beatlemania-and so much more!
    Go to the profile of John Ross
    John Ross
    Apr 10, 2019
    He Out-Bopped the Buzzard and the Oriole!

    He Out-Bopped the Buzzard and the Oriole!

    Looking at Bobby Day’s 1958 hit “Rock-in Robin” with fresh ears and finding a great rock & roll record
    Go to the profile of Neal Umphred
    Neal Umphred
    Apr 7, 2019
    When the Funk was Flamin’ - Interracial Funk in the ’60s and ’70s

    When the Funk was Flamin’ - Interracial Funk in the ’60s and ’70s

    Black music was great, white music was great, and in Rock & Roll America, they were even better together.
    Go to the profile of John Ross
    John Ross
    Apr 5, 2019
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