Oh this picture, my main one and others with a Christmas Theme were taken at Pier 1 Imports at Winter Park Village off 17-92 in yeah you guessed it Winter Park.  They let me take a few pictures which I thought added nicely to my Christmas mood and all the items are available there   https://www.pier1.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-pier1_us-Site/default/LocalStore?storeId=0514&s_cid=lsl0000001

Monday, Monday, so good to me
Monday mornin’, it was all I hoped it would be

But now we’re leaving the Christmas Cheer and going back to 1966, 1966 —a year which like most of the 60s was a very good year for ROCK AND ROLL—that was the year the Mommas and the Papas hit #1 with our theme song Monday Monday and by June it was GOLD.

Beautiful Michelle (plus husband John Phillips) and a larger than life Cass Elliot—a full figure heroine for all of us so not petit ladies out there.  And Can’t forget Denny Doherity.  It would not be their only #1 and they would soon become Rock legends if you click on the link above you can listen to some of the reasons why.

It was the year that the Stones (those Rolling ones) would “Paint It Black”, The Beach Boys—those poor non-British boys would bring us “Pet Sounds” and a number one for their single The Sloop John B in the UK.  A little known little woman with a huge voice was making her first concert in June…but the sounds of Janet Joplin would soon etch themselves on the world’s music history forever.  And it was also the year we got the Yard Birds.  And an American Black man Jimi Hendrix and his group (Experience) made their debut LP in the UK not the US:  “Hey Joey”.  and oops almost forgot Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman”

And while Shindig would end it’s TV shows early in the year, rock and roll would continue on in such venues as Ed Sullivan where in June the Dave Clark 5 (a group I saw live) made their 12th appearance and those pesky Stone appeared on the show in September.  Never to be at a loss television created their own rock group and the Monkees premiered in September as well and would hit #1 with their “I’m a Believer” later that year.

and if you can find a better representation of the 60’s music I hope you’ll tell me about it.

Oh Monday mornin’, Monday mornin’ couldn’t guarantee
That Monday evenin’ you would still be here with me

Well almost everybody….I save the best till now—The Beatles started the spring with their LP Yesterday and Today complete with a cover that showed the group with mutilated dolls and butchered meat a sign of our times and we rocked with Paper Back Writer.  They saw the world with concerts in Tokyo and the Philippines where they were in hot water for a perceived insult to the First Lady Amaldo Marco—which a few years later became a full time activity for the world in regard to the queen of shoes.

Revolver for me was my favorite LP….it was the beginning of the changes that would mark the group as more than just singers and would assure their place in musical history–“Here There and Everywhere”, “Good Day Sunshine: and of course “Eleanor Rigby’ (who lived in a dream) to name a few of the songs.

This was also the year of the remark by John about popularity and the Beatles vs. God…in July in Alabama they burned records protesting his remarks and in August South Africa banded their records.

I saw them play in August of the year in Chicago at the International Amphitheater.  It was unknown to us at the time, the last concert tour that they would do.   I lucked out and got into the show—they did two that day in the city.  In truth I saw more than heard` them—the screaming from all the fine females was a volume that would make a jet plane proud….but it was an experience I wouldn’t have given up for anything…the long hair and Paul–my favorite—with those big beautiful eyes was worth the trip from Michigan and all for the pilgrimage of Rock and Roll Saints.

Interestingly the Grammy Awards  in ’66 named “A Taste of Honey” as best song with other awards going to Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra (Strangers in the Night) and Barbara Streisand  which while all great showed us that as in all other things our world and the establishment was light years apart.

Monday, Monday, can’t trust that day
Monday, Monday, sometimes it just turns out that way

It was the year of the obvious when they put warning labels on cigarettes, which we had been calling coffin nails long before that….another reason one had to doubt the knowledge or at least sincerity of the older generation—we were quickly becoming them and us.

There were some good things:  Mohammed Ali continue to hold his title, In Boston (Chargers) the NBA got its first black coach: Bill Russel and the first woman runner, Roberta Begnay) took part in the Marathon.  Willie Mays hit his 512th home run and A.F.Bremmer was the first African American member of the Federal Reserve Board.   Medicare went into effect in July and the Catholic Church ended the practice of not eating meat on Friday at least in the US in October.   NOW (National Organization of Women) was formed in October as well.  This year` also marked the election of the first African-American/Edward A. Brook (Rep–Mass) to the US Senate.   Roberto Clemente was name MVP (he played for the Pittsburg Pirates).  The Black Power Movement was  started up by Stokely Carmichael

Our first weather satellite went into orbit and the Soviets landed a probe on the moon.  and by August we were orbiting and taking pictures of the earth from it.    Labor Day marked Jerry Lewis’ first Muscular Dystrophy Telethon–a million dollars was raised.

But the bad was there as well:  164 were lost in a snow storm in New England, It was the IRA setting off bombs then–but my dear a bomb is a bomb.  and talking about bombs, the US (in ~Nevada) and the French (underground in Algeria) were messing with nuclear testing.  ..51 more died  in Honduras in the first hurricane of the year  Alma.  James Meredith a civil rights activist was wounded by a white sniper.   While large scale anti-Vietnam protests were becoming more common–there was one with 25,000 participants in NYC in April an example of many of the good actions brought about by bad actions.

Meanwhile Time Magazine released a imageless cover` with the Question on it:  “Is God Dead?”, the air force started with the first B52 bombings of Vietnam and Cambodian targets were added to the over all game plan in May and by the end of the month there were 300 bombers in the air over the little country.  And back in the US the weather wasn’t done with us with over $100 million in damages, 16 killed, hundreds injured, thousands of homes damaged or destroyed in Topeka, Kansas by an F5 tornado.    In July Airline strikes stared and lasted until August.  And again a hurricane--Inez which took 293 lives in the Caribbean, Florida and Mexico.  The bombs made it to Hanoi eventually .  The race riots moved south to Atlanta Georgia.  

Race riots hit Omaha, then Chicago  for 3 days and with looting and also in Chicago Richard Spec killed 8 student nurses.  In Cleveland the race riots resulting in the declaration of a state of emergency.  Bob Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident.   While back in Vietnam they were bombing the Demilitorized Zone.   While the president was surprised` he couldn’t get gun control in the US.  In the UK 116 children and 28 adults were killed due to a rock slide on a school in South Wales, and in Italy 113 died and countless art works were lost in `a flood in Italy.   And a high school student killed 7 for the fame of it all.  New York city had 400 die due to respiratory failure and heart attacks on 11/24 due to smog .

Oh Monday mornin’ you gave me no warnin’ of what was to be
Oh Monday, Monday, how could you leave and not take me

and of course my guilty pleasures:

and they’ve been separated again…oh my   https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Outlander+Trailer+Season+3&view=detail&mid=84388349A84F36C1110384388349A84F36C11103&FORM=VIRE

I blame Dianna for my unrealistic expectations of men

Every other day, every other day
Every other day of the week is fine, yeah
But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes
A you can find me cryin’ all of the time