Arrange class into small teams. Each team can roll the die, highest number goes first. Start on the top left square.
Every time a team completes a turn around the board, they collect £200. However, the top right space is the jail. If they land on the bottom left space, the team goes to jail and misses a turn.
A correct answer means the team can choose a Christmas item, or they can buy one for £300
The red stops are vocabulary
Stop 1: Give me three words for food
Stop 2: Give me three words for family
Stop 3: Give me five words for Christmas
The yellow stops are speaking
Stop 1: Tell me a sport you like and why
Stop 2: Tell me a film or TV show you like and why
Stop 3: Tell me why you like learning English. I want TWO reasons.
The green stops are writing
Stop 1: Write a sentence about a present you would like.
Stop 2: Write a sentence about a present you would not like.
Stop 3: Write about a present you would give to your English teacher !
The dark blue stops are listening. Repeat what I say
Stop 1: Apples, oranges, chocolate, mince pies and Christmas log.
So here it is, Merry Christmas Everybody’s having fun Look to the future now It’s only just begun
The Orange spaces are free speaking. Remember to speak for as long as possible.
Stop 1: Tell me things you like and don’t like about your city
Stop 2: Tell me what you like to do in your free time
Stop 3: tell me what job you would like to do when you are older.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, HAPPY HANUKKAH
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
The House of Gesundheit opened its doors. Before long, a parent charged in, dragging a sickly child. The Doctor of Gesundheit examined the child, increasingly concerned with the findings.
“I must conduct further tests,” the professional explained.
“Ah, no problem, my child always passes tests,” the self-assured reply, with a pat on the money bag.
As the doctor suspected, the poor child had cancer, but it was at an early stage. Help was available, a full recovery was expected.
“Ah, no, no, no, no, no, no,” the parent countered, “the hair will fall out, children at school will laugh. I will not have my child laughed at, I will not have my child looking like an egg ! No, no, no, just give the child some pills, some medicine and all will be well. I know my child. I know my child much better than you do.”
The Doctor of Gesundheit protested, remonstrated, pleaded. The words fell on stony ground. So many pearls, such a large swine.
Eventually the doctor had to acquiesce. Parent and child walked away, victoriously.
Some months later the parent returned, bursting into the House of Gesundheit, screaming, ranting, pointing an accusing, accursing finger at the doctor.
“You killed my child. I brought my child to you for help. Instead … I bury my child. You killed my child. You are a terrible doctor, you are a murderer !”
The other patients heard this and got angry, they sided with the grieved parent and shouted abuse at the disgraced doctor.
The House of Gesundheit closed down.
The doctor abandoned medicine and looked for work from village to village.
In a small grave in a small graveyard lies a small child. Over the coming years, the graveyard grew bigger and bigger.
‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ by Lennon & McCartney. August 1966
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
So now it’s Ringo’s turn, and he co-starred alongside Richard Burton, and Peter Sellers among others. Furthermore, two-time Oscar winner Marlon Brando was in one of the films so they should have been magical … unfortunately that is not the case.
Let’s start with the source material, novels by Terry Southern.
Southern had published these books in 1958 and 1959 respectively, then in the 60s he worked on such iconic films as ‘Dr Strangelove,’ ‘The Collector’ and ‘Easy Rider.’
Writer Terry Southern
‘Candy’ is said to be based on Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ but I think the film, described as a sex farce, owes more to de Sade.
A blonde-haired, blue-eyed innocent teenage girl is sexually manipulated and exploited throughout the film. Ringo only appears in one sequence (with a brief appearance at the end of the movie) playing a gardener, speaking broken English with some kind of accent. He is later identified as being Mexican though he sounds pure Merseyside.
Brando appears as a guru, and actually displays some excellent comic timing. Just a pity the material is rather weak, laboured and very dated.
Candy star Ewa Aulin with Marlon Brando
The film, however, was quite a commercial hit although reviews were mixed. Today it has acquired cult status and is very much a late 60s period piece, the look, the sound and social mores.
‘Candy’ was released in the US on 17th December 1968, and the soundtrack features The Byrds and Steppenwolf.
A year later, Ringo’s second solo film was released. In ‘The Magic Christian,’ he has a co-starring role alongside Peter Sellers (who had memorably played three roles in Kubrick’s ‘Dr Strangelove’).
The film is a satire on wealth and greed, and a condemnation of capitalism. Sellers plays a man of immense wealth, who sees Ringo’s character as the son he never had, and subsequently adopts him.
Ringo with 60s icon Raquel Welch
The film is a series of set-pieces where Sellers shows what people will do for money; a Shakespearean actor is bribed to strip during the famous soliloquy in ‘Hamlet,’ a traffic warden is asked to eat a parking ticket, and the climax shows respectable businesspeople diving into a tank of unmentionable content to retrieve paper money. This film does not go in for subtlety.
Again, the film is packed with familiar faces from film and British TV, and again, as with ‘Candy,’ it’s not a film I would rush to re-watch.
Finally, there is another Beatles connection in this film. The main song is ‘Come and Get It,’ performed by Badfinger but written by Paul McCartney.
Speaking of The Beatles, they spent January of 1969 rehearsing for a proposed TV special or live concert. This was captured in the documentary film ‘Let It Be,’ released in May 1970 by which time the band had broken up.
But the music remains … forever.
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
Before The Beatles broke up in 1970, each member had released at least one solo record or appeared in a non-Beatles film.
These solo outings are a ‘must-see’ for Beatles fans, although none of them match the artistic excellent of The Beatles music, or come anywhere close. Most are now curio pieces, examples of the late 60s zeitgeist, and are of little cinematic merit despite amazing casts and writers.
I hadn’t previously seen any of the following five films. Unfortunately it proved to be a rather disappointing experience.
Anyway, in true Beatles style, “One, two, three, four …”
Let’s start in the Autumn of 1966. The ‘Revolver’ LP had been released in August. John Lennon was offered a part in an anti-war black comedy so left the UK to film in Germany and Spain. Meanwhile, Paul McCartney was approached to write a score for a domestic comedy-drama called ‘The Family Way.’
The film was released on 18th December 1966 (June 1967 in the US), while the soundtrack LP was issued in the new year, on 6th January 1967. First, the film review.
‘The Family Way’ is by far my favourite of the five.
The Boulting Brothers, producer and director, were significant names in 50s British cinema, making some classic films on a limited, post-war budget (films such as ‘I’m All Right, Jack’, ‘Brighton Rock’ & ‘Lucky Jim’ among others). The script was by Bill Naughton, who had written the iconic 60s play ‘Alfie’.
British viewers (of a certain age) will recognise many familiar faces from film and TV, especially the male lead, Hywel Bennett (later to play the eponymous Percy in 1971, music written by Ray Davies of The Kinks).
Hayley Mills & Hywel Bennett
The title is somewhat misleading, as the phrase is a British euphemism for being pregnant, usually out of wedlock (a social stigma at this time). In fact, the lack of a family is the main point of the film.
Set in the Manchester region of north-west England, the film following the wedding of Jenny and Arthur, Jenny from a middle-class background, Arthur’s father a life-long employee at the local gas works. Arthur enjoys classical music and literature, at odds with his uneducated father. There are tensions at the wedding between father and son, but the real problem occurs on the wedding night; Arthur is unable to consummate the marriage, and the couple to sleep separately throughout most of the film.
Finally Arthur overcomes his issues, and the couple go on a belated honeymoon, and will move into their own home when they return. It is also heavily implied that another man was Arthur’s biological father, although he now seems to fully accept and love his dad.
Of the five films under discussion, this is the only one I would be happy to watch again. Additionally, it is also one with the least contribution from a Beatle.
Paul McCartney wrote some pieces which his producer, the legendary George Martin, scored and wrote variations for orchestra. According to online sources, Martin had to force McCartney to finish the work, staying at McCartney’s house one night until Paul had produced some music. [1]
Paul McCartney at the film’s premiere
As for the music, I feel it’s pretty uninspiring and inconsequential. The LP clocks in at under 27 minutes, and I doubt if many Beatles fans who actually own it, play it often.
However, it may hold a very important key. Because of the northern setting, McCartney thought a brass band would be a good idea, and it has been suggested that this led to the idea of ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’ Of course, that LP is another story altogether …
‘Sgt Pepper’s’ epitomises the ‘Summer of Love’ in 1967. Meanwhile, the US forces were increasing in Vietnam, fighting was escalating.
At this point, John Lennon made his solo screen outing as Private Gripweed in ‘How I Won The War,’ released on 18th October 1967
The film centres on a lower middle-class man who becomes an officer (Michael Crawford), and how out of touch officers were with the men under their command. The humour, often black, is very hit-and-miss, not to say outdated. Occasionally the jokes don’t work at all.
Lennon, with cropped hair, merely plays a version of himself, and is competent and enjoyable to watch although the film does drag. The plot is basically a group of soldiers being sent into the desert to prepare a grassy area suitable for a game of cricket.
The film received moderate reviews which was disappointing as the director was Richard Lester, who had made ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ the first Beatles film, which was so fresh and exciting.
Another interesting incident is that Lennon stayed in a villa in Spain during the shoot, a villa that reminded him of a certain building in Liverpool, a Salvation Army garden called Strawberry Fields.
One of the co-stars, Jack MacGowran, would be the lead actor in ‘Wonderwall’ (1968) for which George Harrison composed the music.
Harrison’s soundtrack was released on 1st November 1968, while the film wouldn’t get a full UK release until 12th January 1969.
MacGowran plays a stereotypical absent-minded scientist, who lives alone in a drab, brown-toned apartment, piles of dusty papers everywhere. One day, through a crack in the wall, he sees into the next apartment (alluded to in the LP cover). His neighbour is a beautiful young girl (Jane Birkin) who practises free love, her living space open and multicoloured. The scientist envies her life, and boyfriend, until he witnesses the other side of the permissive society; the irresponsibility. The girl gets pregnant, the boyfriend leaves her and she attempts suicide. The scientist sees this and calls an ambulance, thus saving her. The film is a condemnation of the hippie lifestyle, the squares save the day, depth and character over superficial image.
Jane Birkin
Jack MacGowran
Musically, the LP has its admirers, featuring Harrison’s fascination with the sitar. This works well with the film and places the film firmly in the late 60s. The music is quite listenable, without the images, mixing eastern and western influences, and did receive some praise from contemporary reviewers.
Ringo, meanwhile, made two films in the late 60s, both based on books by Terry Southern, ‘Candy’ and ‘The Magic Christian.’ The much-loved drummer worked with such screen legends as Richard Burton, Peter Sellers and Marlon Brando … but I will save that for another blog.
Goodbye from Ringo
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
First we need a subject, a person or animal, or both:
a pirate
astronaut
girl who plays guitar
boy who plays football or sports
happy mummy
angry manunicorn
puppy
shark
teacher
doctor
Now, what are they doing ? Maybe they are:
walking // playing // working // talking // watching // reading // doing homework // making a video // looking for something
What other verbs do you know ?
Now weneed some adjectives. What adjectives do you know ?
old / young / beautiful / handsome / ugly / happy / angry / sad / amazing / clever / cute / dangerous / exciting / great / healthy / unhealthy / intelligent / interesting / lazy / talented
Now, let’s make a story. I will choose the teacher.
One day a handsome teacher was making a video for YouTube. The teacher has short, straight, black hair, and a black beard. He looks very friendly and happy. He is speaking about sharks. Sharks are very dangerous, big and angry. The video is very exciting and interesting.
Now … your turn. Tell me an interesting story. You may draw and colour as well
bye-bye from The Beatles
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
1965 ended with The Beatles throwing down the gauntlet with the ‘Rubber Soul’ LP. The musical Cold War between The Beatles and the Beach Boys was on !
Bob Dylan had released ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ which would be a very tough act to follow, while The Who had debuted on LP with ‘My Generation’.
Ravi Shankar issued his ‘Sound of the Sitar’ LP, an instrument that George Harrison would use on ‘Rubber Soul’, and would be heard on several big hits over the next two years.
Brian Jones of The Rolling Stones playing sitar
Some of the early 60s beat bands were fading away while garage bands were on the rise. Meanwhile London was swinging, and the UK was getting ready for the World Cup
London 1966
Bob Dylan in the UK
Please note, most dates are from Wikipedia so there may be some errors. Also, some LPs were only issued in the States, while UK and US release dates varied; I have usually given the UK date. This is a selective discography, showcasing just some of the amazing music of 1966.
January
1st Paul Jones ‘My Way’ LP
7th ‘Sonny Boy Williamson and the Yardbirds’. Live recording from December 1963, featuring Eric Clapton.
7th Spencer Davis Group ‘The Second Album’ LP
14th London-born singer David Jones changes his name to David Bowie. Bowie would release four singles in 1966 but none entered either the UK or US charts.
17th Simon & Garfunkel ‘Sound of Silence’ LP
21st Them ‘Them Again’ LP, featuring Van Morrison on vocals, but the LP failed to chart.
31st Tony Bennett ‘Movie Song Album’ LP
February
4th Rolling Stones ’19th Nervous Breakdown’ single
9th Death of Blues singer Sophie Tucker
11th The Animals ‘Inside-Looking Out’ single
14th Bob Dylan ‘One of us Must Know’ single. Reached 33 in the UK, but didn’t crack the Billboard 100 in the US.
18th The Hollies ‘I Can’t Let Go’ single
19th The Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Daydream’ single
21st Cher ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)’ single
25th The Kinks ‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion’ single
25th The Yardbirds ‘Shapes of things’ single. Some critics have labelled this as the first psychedelic rock song.
Michelle Philipps of The Mamas and the Papas
28th The Mamas and the Papas ‘If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears’ LP
March
1st Elvis ‘Frankie and Johnny’ soundtrack LP
4th The Who ‘Substitute’ single
4th The Beatles ‘Yesterday’ EP
4th John Lennon quoted in the London Evening Standard saying that the Beatles were “More popular than Jesus.” This causes protests and record burnings, especially in the Bible belt of the USA
7th The Who ‘A Legal Matter’ single. Issued by Shel Talmy (producer) without the band’s permission.
8th Crispian St. Peters ‘the Pied Piper’ single. Peters also covered the Phil Ochs song ‘Changes’ but it failed to chart.
14th The Byrds ‘Eight Miles High’ single. Record is widely banned due to perceived drug references.
15th Nancy Sinatra ‘Boots’ LP
25th Dusty Springfield ‘You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me’ single
28th Cher ‘The Sonny Side of Cher’ LP
March
The Mamas and the Papas ‘Monday, Monday’ single
Percy Sledge ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ single
The Fugs ‘The Fugs’ LP
Love ‘Love’ LP
The Lovin’ Spoonful’ Daydream LP
The Monks ‘Black Monk Time’ LP
Phil Ochs ‘In Concert’ LP
April
1st Sam & Dave ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ LP
7th Manfred Mann ‘Machines’ EP
15th Manfred Mann ‘Pretty Flamingo’ single
15th The Beach Boys ‘Sloop John B’ single (March 21st in USA)
15th Rolling Stones ‘Aftermath’ LP (2nd July in USA)
22nd The Troggs ‘Wild Thing’ single
April
James Brown ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ single
Bob Dylan ‘Rainy Day Women #12 & 35’ single
The Seeds ‘The Seeds’ LP
Otis Redding ‘The Soul Album’ LP
May
3rd The Temptations ‘Ain’t Too Proud to Beg’ single
4th Stevie Wonder ‘Uptight’ LP
6th Small Faces ‘Small Faces’ LP
7th Rolling Stones ‘Paint it Black’ single
13th the Animals ‘Animalisms’ LP
21st The Animals ‘Don’t Bring Me Down’ single
27th The Yardbirds ‘Over Under Sideways’ single
30th The Beatles ‘Paperback Writer / Rain’ single
May
Dave Clark Five ‘Look Before You Leap’ single. Only reaches number #50 in the UK charts.
Simon & Garfunkel ‘I Am A Rock’ single
Frank Sinatra ‘Strangers in the Night’ single
‘When The Boys Meet The Girls’ soundtrack LP. The first film starring Herman’s Hermits. The LP is an eclectic mix, featuring the British band alongside Connie Francis, Liberace & Louis Armstrong
June
3rd The Kinks ‘Sunny Afternoon’ single
3rd Jimmy Ruffin ‘What Becomes of the Brokenhearted’ single
3rd Manfred Mann ‘Instrumental Asylum’ EP
10th Elvis ‘Paradise, Hawaiian Style’ soundtrack LP
15th The Beatles ‘Yesterday and Today’ LP (US only)
The infamous, unreleased butcher cover
The cover that was released
Beatles producer George Martin stated that his first disagreement with the band was over this LP cover. Capital Records recalled the sleeve which today is a valuable collector’s item.
17th The Hollies ‘Bus Stop’ single
17th Death of Jazz musician Johnny St. Cyr
20th Bob Dylan ‘I Want You’ single
20th Bob Dylan ‘Blonde on Blonde’ double LP
27th The Beach Boys ‘Pet Sounds’ LP (May 16th in USA). The LP peaked at number 2 in the UK, but only reached 10 in the USA
27th Mothers of Invention ‘Freak Out’ LP
June
The Count Five ‘Psychotic Reaction’ single
Bobby Hebb ‘Sunny’ single
‘What’s Shakin” compilation LP featuring The Lovin’ Spoonful, Paul Butterfield and Powerhouse, a supergroup comprising Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce & Steve Winwood.
July
1st Donovan ‘Sunshine Superman’ single
1st The Hollies ‘Would You Believe ?’ LP
4th The Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Summer in the City’ single
8th The Beatles ‘Nowhere Man’ EP
11th Cher ‘Alfie’ single
15th The Kinks ‘Dedicated Kinks’ EP
Cover by guitarist Chris Dreja
15th The Yardbirds ‘Yardbirds’ LP, more commonly known as ‘Roger the Engineer’
18th The Byrds ‘Fifth Dimension’ LP
18th The Beach Boys ‘Wouldn’t it be Nice’ / ‘God Only Knows’ single.
Paul McCartney proclaims ‘God Only Knows’ “The greatest song ever written.”
22nd John Mayall ‘Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton’ LP
The Supremes
25th The Supremes ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ single
25 The Troggs ‘From Nowhere’ LP
29th Manfred Mann ‘Just Like A Woman’ single
30th World Cup Final. England beat West Germany 4 – 2 after extra time.
31st Death of Jazz pianist Bud Powell
July
Lee Dorsey ‘Working in the Coal Mine’ single
The Left Banke ‘Walk Away Renée’ single
Wilson Pickett ‘Land of a Thousand Dances’ single
The Troggs ‘With a Girl Like You’ single
The Butterfield Blues Band ‘East – West’ LP
The Troggs
Tim Hardin ‘Tim Hardin 1’ LP
Paul Jones leaves Manfred Mann for a solo career, and is replaced by Mike d’Abo
August
5th The Beatles ‘Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby’ single
5th Small Faces ‘All or Nothing’ single
5th The Beatles ‘Revolver’ LP
12th The Who ‘The Kids are Alright’ single. This iconic track didn’t even enter the UK Top 40.
Carnaby St, London
15th Jefferson Airplane ‘Jefferson Airplane Takes Off’ LP with original singer Signe Toly Anderson, and Skip Spence on drums
16th The Monkees ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ single
18th Bob Dylan ‘Just Like a Woman’ single (US only)
18th The Four Tops ‘Reach Out I’ll Be There’ single
26th The Who ‘I’m a Boy’ single
26th Spencer Davis Group ‘Autumn ’66’ LP
26th The Walker Brothers ‘Portrait’ LP
29th The Beatles play their last ever public concert at Candlestick Park, San Francisco.
August
? and the Mysterians ’96 Tears’ single
September
6th The Byrds ‘Mr Spaceman’ single
12th The Mamas and the Papas ‘The Mamas and the Papas’ LP
Rolling Stones in drag for the ‘Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby’ promo film.
23rd Rolling Stones ‘Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby’ single
September
Ike & Tina Turner ‘River Deep, Mountain High’ LP
The Incredible String Band ‘The Incredible String Band’ LP
Autumn
John Lennon begins filming How I Won the War
October
7th The Hollies ‘Stop Stop Stop’ single
7th Death of Johnny Kidd
10th The Beach Boys ‘Good Vibrations’ single
10th The Seekers ‘Georgy Girl’ single
10th The Monkees ‘The Monkees’ LP
12th Supremes ‘You Keep Me Hanging On’ single
21st Manfred Mann ‘Semi-Detached Suburban Mr Jones single
Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page
21st The Yardbirds ‘Happenings Ten Years Time Ago’ single. One of the few Yardbird tracks to feature both Jeff Beck & Jimmy Page.
21st Manfred Mann ‘As Is’ LP
22nd Simon & Garfunkel ‘A Hazy Shade of Winter’ single
24th Simon & Garfunkel ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ LP
28th The Kinks ‘Face to Face’ LP
31st Elvis ‘Spinout’ soundtrack LP
October
Bobby Darin ‘If I Were A Carpenter’ single
Tim Buckley ‘Tim Buckley’ LP featuring Lee Underwood, Van Dyke Parks & Jack Nietzsche
The Deep ‘Psychedelic Moods’ LP
Herman’s Hermits ‘Both Sides of Herman’s Hermits’ LP
John Lee Hooker ‘The Real Folk Blues’ LP
13th Floor Elevators ‘The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators’ LP
November
2nd Death of Bluesman Mississippi John Hurt
10th Los Bravos ‘Black is Black’ LP, featuring the hit single by this Spanish band fronted by a German singer.
11th The Who ‘La-La-La-Lies’ single. Another track released by producer Shel Talmy without permission.
12th The Monkees ‘I’m a Believer’ single
16th Martha and the Vandellas ‘Watchout !’ LP
16th Smokey Robinson & The Miracles ‘Away We a Go-Go’ LP
Shot from the ‘Dead End Street’ promo film
18th The Kinks ‘Dead End Street’ single
21st Joan Baez ‘Noël’ Christmas LP
28th Tages ‘Extra Extra’ LP a beat group from Sweden
November
The Bee Gees ‘Spicks and Specks’ LP
James Brown ‘Handful of Soul’ LP
Love ‘Da Capo’ LP
The Lovin’ Spoonful ‘Hums of The Lovin’ Spoonful’ LP
Booker T & The MGs ‘And Now!’ LP featured one single ‘Sweet Potato’ which was nowhere near as successful as ‘Green Onions.’
December
3rd The Who ‘Happy Jack’ single
5th Buffalo Springfield ‘Buffalo Springfield’ LP. Future pressing replaced an LP track with the ‘For What it’s Worth’ single.
9th The Hollies ‘For Certain Because’ LP
9th The Who ‘A Quick One’ LP
9th Cream ‘Fresh Cream’ LP
10th The Beatles ‘A Collection of Beatles Oldies’ compilation LP
18th The Family Way film released, music by Paul McCartney, the first solo Beatles recording.
John Lennon filmed in Soho, London, November 1966
26th ‘Not Only, But Also’ TV comedy Christmas Special aired on the BBC, featuring John Lennon
Peter sellers
December
The Left Banke ‘Pretty Ballerina’ single
‘After the Fox’ film released. The Hollies released a single of the title track in August but it failed to chart.
December Eric Burdon of the Animals, releases his first solo single ‘Help Me Girl’. His first LP in 1967 is credited to Eric Burdon and the Animals.
December Gerry and the Pacemakers ‘Girl on a Swing’ LP. Fails to chart in either UK or USA
In Jazz:
Wes Montgomery released ‘Tequila’ & ‘California Dreaming’
Miles Davies released the live ‘Four & More’ LP and Lee Morgan issued the ‘Charisma’ LP.
In Free Jazz, Ornette Coleman had two LPs, ‘Chappaqua Suite’ and ‘The Empty Foxhole’.
John Coltrane released ‘Ascension’ and ‘Meditations’
In Folk and Country:
Bob Lind, whose songs have been covered by Glenn Campbell, Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, and Eric Clapton among others, released ‘The Elusive Bob Lind’. Glen Campbell issued ‘The 12 String Guitar’ LP.
Waylon Jennings issued 3 LPs including ‘Folk-Country’ while Johnny Cash released 2, including ‘Happiness is You’.
In Blues:
B.B. King released ‘Confessin’ the Blues’, Muddy Waters issued ‘Muddy, Brass & the Blues’ & Lightning Hopkins had ‘Lightnin’ Strikes’.
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
From mid 1966 – 1967, Brian Wilson recorded tracks for the ‘Smile’ LP, while The Beach Boys were on tour. For years, ‘Smile’ would be regarded as the greatest LP never released.
Brian Wilson with Van Dyke Parks working on the Smile LP. The LP wouldn’t be released until decades later.
On the 24th November 1966, The Beatles went into Abbey Road to begin work on ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’.
Resting after a motorcycle accident in July 1966, Bob Dylan spent the spring of 1967 writing songs with The Band in his house near Woodstock, New York. In June 1967, they switched to Big Pink, a house The Band shared, and began recording in the basement. These recordings were heavily bootlegged, and finally released in 1975.
The Band at Big Pink
Also in July 1966, Peter Green officially replaced Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers.
Peter Green
The new year was only days old when out of LA came the debut album by The Doors …
Please note, most dates are from Wikipedia so there may be some errors. Also, UK and US release dates varied; I have usually given the UK date. This is a selective discography, showcasing just some of the amazing music of 1967.
December 23rd 1966 Buffalo Springfield ‘For What It’s Worth’ single (charted in Spring 1967)
December 1966 The Electric Prunes ‘The Electric Prunes’ LP
January
4th The Doors ‘The Doors’ LP
4th The Doors ‘Break On Through (To The Other Side)’ single
9th The Byrds ‘So You Wanna Be A Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’ single
9th The Monkees ‘More Of The Monkees’ LP
13th The Rolling Stones ‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ / ‘Ruby Tuesday’ double A-side single
20th The Rolling Stones ‘Between The Buttons’ LP (UK). Album released Feb 11th USA.
23rd The Supremes ‘Sing Holland-Dozier-Holland’ LP
February
1st Jefferson Airplane ‘Surrealist Pillow’ LP
3rd Herman’s Hermits ‘There’s A Kind Of Hush’ single
3rd Death of Joe Meek (record producer. Produced ‘Telestar’, the second British song to top the US charts)
Joe Meek
6th The Byrds ‘Younger Than Yesterday’ LP
10th The Hollies ‘On A Carousel’ single
12th Keith Richards & Mick Jagger arrested for drug possession at Redlands, home of Richards.
Keith Richards & Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones
13th The Beatles ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ / ‘Penny Lane’ double A-side single
16th Miles Davis ‘Miles Smiles’ LP
Two Miles Davis LPs released in 1967
17th John Mayall And The Bluesbreakers ‘A Hard Road’ LP
Simon & Garfunkel
27th Simon & Garfunkel ‘At The Zoo’ single
27th Elvis Presley ‘How Great Thou Art’ LP
February The Mamas & The Papas ‘Dedicated To The One I Love’ single
February The Left Banke ‘Walk Away Renne’ LP
February Gene Clark ‘Gene Clark With The Gosdin Brothers’ LP
February The Mamas & The Papas ‘Deliver’ LP
March
3rd The Walker Brothers ‘Images’ LP
7th Sandie Shaw ‘Puppet On A String’ single (Sandie won the Eurovision Song Contest with this song, the first time the UK won the contest)
8th The Monkees ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ single
10th Pink Floyd ‘Arnold Layne’ single
clip from the ‘Arnold Layne’ video.
Syd Barret of Pink Floyd in 1967
12th The Velvet Underground “The Velvet Underground and Nico’ LP
13th The Byrds ‘My Back Pages’ single
16th Otis Redding with Carla Thomas ‘King & Queen’ LP
17th Jimi Hendrix ‘Purple Haze’ single
17th Grateful Dead ‘The Grateful Dead’ LP
24th Manfred Mann ‘Ha Ha Said The Clown’ single.
31st The Move ‘I Can Hear The Grass Grow’ single
March The Dave Clark Five ‘You Got What It Takes’ single
March Neil Diamond ‘Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ single
March Frank Sinatra And Nancy Sinatra ‘Something Stupid’ single
Carnaby Street in London
April
1st Jefferson Airplane ‘Somebody To Love’ single
7th Lulu ‘The Boat That I Row’ single
‘Pictures Of Lily’ Japanese single cover
14th Bee Gees ‘New York Mining Disaster 1941’ single
21st The Yardbirds ‘Little Games’ single. This is the last UK single by the band, and it failed to chart.
22nd The Who ‘Pictures Of Lily’ single
24th The Doors ‘Light My Fire’ single
29th Aretha Franklyn ‘Respect’ single
Aretha Franklyn
29th The 14 Hour Technicolour Dream, a concert held at Alexandra Palace, London. Pink Floyd are the headline act.
April The Mamas & The Papas ‘Creeque Allee’ single
April Anti-Vietnam War protests in Washington DC, New York and San Francisco
1st Pat Martino ‘El Hombre’ LP recorded. Released later in 1967
Debut LP by the Jazz guitarist
Pat Martino, Jazz guitarist
May
1st The Association ‘Windy’ single
5th Jimi Hendrix ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ single
5th The Kinks ‘Waterloo Sunset’ single
11th Country Joe And The Fish ‘Electric Music For The Mind And Body’ LP
The 1967 Bond film
Theme song by Nancy Sinatra
12th Procol Harum ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ single
Procol Harum
Scott Mackenzie
13th Scott Mackenzie ‘San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)’ single
13th The Grass Roots ‘Let’s Live For Today’ single
19th Traffic ‘Paper Sun’ single
Strawberry Alarm Clock
19th Strawberry Alarm Clock ‘Incense And Peppermints’ single
22nd The Byrds ‘Have You Seen Her Face’ single
22nd The Monkees ‘Headquarters’ LP
26th The Hollies ‘Carrie Anne’ single
26th The Beatles ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’ LP
26th Mothers Of Invention (Frank Zappa) ‘Absolutely Free’ LP
29th The Tremeloes ‘Silence Is Golden’ single
June
1st David Bowie ‘David Bowie’ LP
1st Elvis Presley ‘Double Trouble’ Soundtrack LP
6th Moby Grape ‘Moby Grape’ LP
Debut LP by Moby Grape, featuring Skip Spence on rhythm guitar and vocals
8th The Association ‘Insight Out’ LP
16th Pink Floyd ‘See Emily Play’ single
16 – 18 Monterey International Pop Festival
Jimi Hendrix
Jefferson Airplane
Performers include Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, Grateful Dead, The Who, Big Brother and The Holding Company, Buffalo Springfield, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and The Mamas & the Papas. Electric Flag, comprising Mike Bloomfield on guitar and Buddy Miles on drums, made their live debut. The band’s first LP, issued in 1967, was the soundtrack to the film ‘The Trip’
Electric Flag
Grateful Dead
The Who
23rd The Small Faces ‘The Small Faces’ LP
24th Jefferson Airplane ‘White Rabbit’ single
25th Our World TV. The Beatles perform ‘All You Need Is Love’ from Abbey Road, EMI studio. The program was broadcast by satellite, and watched by more than 400 million people in 25 countries.
26th The Hollies ‘Evolution’ LP
The Hollies
30th The Who ‘The Last Time’ / ‘Under My Thumb’ single (the single was recorded just two days previously, to support the legal fees of Mick Jagger & Keith Richards.
June Cream ‘Strange Brew’ single
June Captain Beefheart ‘Safe As Milk’ LP
Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band
June The Kaleidoscope (USA band) ‘Side Trips’ LP
July
7th The Beatles ‘All You Need Is Love’ single
7th Dave Davies ‘Death Of A Clown’ single (solo from Davies of The Kinks)
7th Simon & Garfunkel ‘Fakin’ It’ single
13th The Byrds ‘Lady Friend’ single
14th Bee Gees ‘Bee Gees 1st’ LP
17th Death of John Coltrane
John Coltrane
24th The Beach Boys ‘Heroes and Villains’ single
28th Keith West ‘Excerpt From A Teenage Opera’ single
July The Monkees ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ single
The Yardbirds with Jimmy Page (2nd from left). Page would later go on to form Led Zepplin
July The Box Tops ‘The Letter’ single
Alex Chilton of The Box Tops
July Canned Heat ‘Canned Heat’ LP
July The Yardbirds ‘Little Games’ LP (USA only. This lineup has Jimmy Page as sole guitarist)
August
4th The Flower Pot Men ‘Let’s Go To San Francisco’ single
4th The Small Faces ‘Itchycoo Park’ single
4th Pink Floyd ‘The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn’ LP
18th The Rolling Stones ‘We Love You’ single (UK)
19th Jimi Hendrix ‘Burning Of The Midnight Lamp’ single
21st Bobbie Gentry ‘Ode To Billie Joe’ LP
23rd Big Brother & the Holding Company ‘Big Brother & the Holding Company’ LP
Big Brother & the Holding Company with singer Janice Joplin
23rd Jimi Hendrix ‘Are You Experienced LP
25th The Move ‘Flowers In The Rain’ single
27th Death of Brian Epstein (Beatles manager)
Brian Epstein
28th Merle Haggard ‘Branded Man’ LP
August Traffic ‘Hole In My Shoe’ single
August Glenn Campbell ‘Gentle On My Mind’ LP
August The Seeds ‘Future’ LP
The Seeds
Vanilla Fudge
August Vanilla Fudge ‘Vanilla Fudge’ LP
September
1st John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers ‘Crusade’ LP, featuring new guitarist and future Rolling Stone Mick Taylor.
1st Procol Harum ‘Procol Harum’ LP
4th The Doors ‘People Are Strange’ single
15th The Kinks ‘Something Else’ LP
16th Scott Walker ‘Scott’ LP
18th The Beach Boys ‘Smiley Smile’ LP (USA). The ‘Smile’ concept was abandoned, and this LP was cobbled together to fulfil record company commitments. The Album was released in November in the UK
19th Bee Gees ‘Massachusetts’ single
22nd The Hollies ‘King Midas In Reverse’ single
25th The Doors ‘Strange Days’ LP
The Doors ‘Strange Days’
End of September John Coltrane ‘Expression’ (First posthumous release) LP
The launch of Radio One
September Gene Pitney ‘Something’s Gotten Hold Of My Heart’ single
30th Radio One starts broadcasting in the UK. The first song is ‘Flowers In The Rain’ by The Move.
October
3rd Death of folk singer Woody Guthrie (a major influence on Bob Dylan)
Woody Guthrie
6th David McWilliams ‘Days of Pearly Spencer’ single
10th Elvis Presley ‘Clambake’ Soundtrack LP
13th The Who ‘I Can See For Miles’ single
13th The Kinks ‘Autumn Almanac’ / ‘Mr Pleasant’ single
13th The Troggs ‘Love Is All Around’ single
20th The Byrds ‘Goin’ Back’ single
23rd The Beach Boys ‘Wild Honey’ single
23rd Miles Davis ‘Sorcerer’ LP
25th The Monkees ‘Daydream Believer’ single
The Monkees
25th The 13th Floor Elevators ‘Easter Everywhere’ LP
27th Ten Years After ‘Ten Years After’ LP
31st Phil Ochs ‘Pleasures Of The Harbour’ LP
Phil Ochs
November
1st Love ‘Forever Changes’ LP
2nd Scott Walker ‘Jackie’ single
2nd Cream ‘Disraeli Gears’ LP
Cream
Eric Clapton in Cream
6th The Monkees ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd’ LP
10th Moody Blues ‘Nights In White Satin’ single
10th Moody Blues ‘Days Of Future Passed’ LP
18th Buffalo Springfield ‘Buffalo Springfield Again’ LP
24th The Beatles ‘Hello, Goodbye’ / ‘I Am The Walrus’ double A-side single
24th Dave Davies ‘Susannah’s Still Alive’ single
24th Traffic ‘Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush’ single
24th Kaleidoscope (UK band) ‘Tangerine Dream’ LP
The UK band Kaleidoscope
November The Dave Clark Five ‘Everybody Knows’ single. Their first Top 10 hit since July 1965
November the Lemon Pipers ‘Green Tambourine’ single
November Glenn Campbell ‘By The Time I Get To Phoenix’ LP
November Country Joe And The Fish ‘I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ To Die’ LP
November The Hollies ‘Butterfly’ LP
November Lee Morgan ‘Delightfulee’ LP
Jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan
November Van Dyke Parks ‘Song Cycle’ LP
Van Dyke Parks, who had collaborated with Brian Wilson on the aborted ‘Smile’ project
November or December The Doors ‘Love Me Two Times’ single
December
1st Jimi Hendrix ‘Axis: Bold As Love’ LP (UK. Released 1968 in USA)
8th The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ double EP (in USA, this is released as an LP with the inclusion of all singles and B-sides from 1967)
8th The Rolling Stones ‘Their Satanic Majesties Request’ LP
8th Traffic ‘Mr Fantasy’ LP
9th Jim Morrison of The Doors is arrested onstage at New Haven, charged with obscenity and incitement to riot. He becomes the first rock star to be arrested onstage.
10th Death of Otis Redding
Otis Redding
13th Jimi Hendrix ‘Foxy Lady’ single
15th The Who ‘The Who Sell Out’ LP
18th The Beach Boys ‘Wild Honey’ LP
18th The Beach Boys ‘Darlin” single
26th The Beatles ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ broadcast on the BBC. The film, which is shown in black & white, is poorly received. A colour version in screened on 5th January 1968
27th Leonard Cohen ‘The Songs Of Leonard Cohen’ LP
Leonard Cohen
Dave Gilmore
December The Loving Spoonful ‘Everything Playing’ LP
Recent online classes have revealed a distressing lack of ability using basic verbs in the past tense or Verb 2 as they are called in my neck of the woods.
In Vietnamese, the past tense is formed differently.
The verb remains the same but other words are added to indicate the tense. Alternately, time indicators are employed. Very briefly, a literal translation from the Vietnamese could be:
Yesterday I eat rice
Therefore a language teacher needs to be aware of the linguistic differences. Be that as it may let’s Get Back to basics.
Activity 1
What is the past tense (Verb 2) of these verbs:
eat / drink / do / play / see / go
Activity 2
help / visit / work / ride / talk
Activity 3
‘to be’:
I am / I was
you are / you were
he is / he was
she is / she was
Let’s use past tense (verb 2) with an adjective
Tell me what is the sentence if we use verb 2
EXAMPLE: I am happy. = I was happy.
NOW … YOUR TURN
You are sad = You ______ sad.
He is tired = He _______ tired.
She is funny = She _______ funny.
I am shy = I ______ shy.
He is small = He ______ small.
She is big = She _____ big.
You are young = You ______ young.
Activity 4
What did you do today ?
Each student takes a turn. Use these photos to help you.
Extra practice:
buy / drink / surf the internet / help parents / cook / do homework / wake up
Present tense ——– Past tense
act —— acted
go —- went
learn —— learned OR learnt
play — played
read —– read (pronounced ‘red)
ride —— rode
sleep —– slept
watch —- watched (pronounced ‘watch -t‘)
win —- won
What is the past tense (Verb 2) ?
I act in a film. Last week I ______ in a film.
I go to London. Last year I _______________ to London.
I ride an elephant. Last month I ___________ an elephant.
I learn English. Last Saturday, we ___________ English with Mr Paul.
The monkey plays piano.
Last night, the monkey _________ piano.
She reads a book. Last Sunday she _____ a book.
He sleeps all day. Yesterday he _______ all day.
I watch the amazing Spiderman.
Last week I ______ the amazing Spiderman.
Put these verbs into the past tense, then complete the sentences:
Please Note: All photos are taken from Google Images or free photo sites, and are used for educational purposes only. No copyright infringement or offense is intended. If I have used your photo or image, and you wish me to remove it, just ask. This site is not monetized, I run it on my own dollar. Thank you.
In the morning, my students are like bears with sore heads
Man’s best friend
I’m a newt, and I’ll have you know I’m totally sober
NEWT: As pissed as a newt – Informal British English meaning to be drunk.
SIDEBAR: This is is very unusual saying, but around 200 years ago, young teenage sailors were known as ‘newts’. It didn’t take much alcohol for these boys to become very drunk, hence the expression.
OWL: To be a night owl – someone who stays up late, maybe all night.
PANDA: To have panda eyes – night owls and insomniacs often have black rings around their eyes, like a panda. I first heard this in Malaysia.
QUAIL: To quail at something – to be afraid or nervous about something.
RED HERRING: A false clue in a mystery or detective story
NOW LET’S TAKE THESE EXPRESSIONS OUT FOR A SPIN
When did you last sleep ? You ____________________________________
The police followed a clue but it was just a _____________________
My neighbour is a real _____________________ playing music all night.
I have toothache but I __________ at going to the dentist.
Did you hear him sing karaoke ? He was ___________________________ !
Are you ready for some more ?
SWAN: Swan song – a final appearance.
TIGER: A tiger mum – a mother who pushes her children to study and study and study.
UNICORN: Life isn’t all rainbows and unicorns – sometimes life is hard and we have to deal with problems (tell me about it).
VULTURE: The vultures are circling – vultures wait for animals to die, then they swoop down and eat the dead body, so this expression means something very bad is about to happen.
WHALE: Having a whale of a time – having a wonderful time, really enjoying yourself.
X: Give me a break ! However, check out this little beauty:
This is an X ray tetra, a non-aggressive fish found in the Amazon
YAK: To yak or yakking – to talk non-stop, usually about nothing important.
ZEBRA: Zebra crossing – black and white marking on the road. In the UK, cars usually stop to allow people to walk safely. In Viet Nam … hhmmmm not so much (i.e. never).
The most famous zebra crossing in the world. From The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ LP
Speaking of The Beatles, allow me to quote from ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
The party was amazing, we all had _________________________
The show was her last ever, it was her ________________________
Will you stop _______ ! I can’t think !
Walk to the ________________________ because this road is dangerous.
She has a _____________________ who makes her study English every day.
The business is losing too much money. The _________________________
I have to pay my rent, my student loan, my electric bill. This is no fun ________________________________________________________
Zoom exercise class with a motivated student. This bears absolutely no resemblance to my classes. Taken from Google Images
Part One: “Always look on the bright side of life”
Eric Idle 1979
First, a thank you to a blogger friend in USA, Haoyan Do, who asked me about Zoom classes, and how they differed from the physical classroom or, in plain English, real life. I had already decided to put a positive spin (more neologisms) on the current situation but, in the interests of fairness, I shall also explore the other side of that metaphorical coin in a future blog.
Now, without further ado, the benefits of teaching on Zoom
“If the rain comes, they go and hide their heads …”
The Beatles ‘Rain’ 1966
Rainy Season in Sai Gon
Not easy to capture a monsoon on a cheap mobile (cellphone) but you can see the grey sky, the clouds and the mournful trees trying to shelter from the storm. So, advantage number 1 …
1: Avoid going out in the rainy season
My IELTS students, not to mention my Top Cats from younger classes, will know the idiom ‘it’s raining cats and dogs,’ and then some ! When it rains here, the heavens open and streets get flooded. I’ve had to wade, knee-high, in swampy rain water to get to my campus. I lost an iPhone in the rain, and nearly get my foot stuck in a pothole in the middle of the main road. Now, I can watch the rain from inside, safe and dry.
Moving on, I haven’t posted many teaching blogs recently, leading to advantage number 2 …
2: No lesson planning
I only have Young Learner classes, students aged from 7 – 11, which are two-hour classes. We work from the set text books, but my manager prepares all the warm up activities, games and vocabulary reviews on ppt slides. I present them and conduct the lesson.
Some students may be rather vocal, and twelve enthusiastic youngsters can be, as we say in London, GBH of the ear’ole, meaning pain from so much noise or excessive talking (GBH stands for grievous bodily harm in English criminal law). Thus, advantage number 3 …
3: MUTE & MUTE ALL buttons
I love these options, the teacher’s friend. A student who is sitting by a blaring TV, a mummy and daddy having a shouting match, someone who wants to disturb the lesson by humming into the mic … just hit the MUTE button … bliss. Furthermore, we have a Waiting Room facility. Any student who is disrespectful or does now meet my standards of behaviour can be kicked out of the class for five minutes. This action can be repeated. I also have the option to permanently remove them from the class (though I have yet to use that feature).
Thay Paul, can you give us an example ?
Can I ? Oh, yeah, in spades ! Just last weekend, I was going through the online class rules, one of which was not to play with the Zoom features, and not to use a Zoom filter background. No sooner said, then one student began playing with Zoom, flashing said background. In my class, that got him a BLACK STAR. Student, typically, denied the accusation, although everyone had seen, and thereafter was in a bad mood, not answering when the TA called and refusing to take part in a game. Therefore, I put the student in the Waiting Room. Upon return, the student began taking part very enthusiastically, even earning stars for good work.
Next advantage is more indirect but ultimately beneficial to us all
4: Environmental
Schools closed, traffic greatly reduced leading to less pollution. Naturally people are using more electricity at home, but in many cases, lights, computers and A/C would be on anyway. Additionally, I spend more on electricity but this is offset by not spending money on petrol (gas) or Grabbike (similar to an Uber service).
So there you have it, four benefits although nothing of real pedagogic value. The Zoom classes are a way of providing some level of education during this lockdown period, to make sure students are exposed to English: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Teachers need to be extra patient and calm, understanding and compassionate. However, we also have a job to do, and I endeavour to make sure all the students have had an opportunity to practice English, leaving the class having learnt something of lasting value.
Thay Paul's Notes 