96 Tears is a song recorded by the American garage rock band ? and the Mysterians in 1966. In October of that year, it was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and on the RPM 100 in Canada. It also peaked at #37 in the UK. Billboard ranked the record as the #5 song for 1966. It is ranked #213 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. On November 11, 1966, the single was certified as gold by the RIAA.
The song was written by Question Mark (Rudy Martinez) in 1962 in his manager’s living room, and was recorded in Bay City, Michigan. At first, Question Mark had to insist that 96 Tears be the A-side over Midnight Hour. Once the issue was settled, the band recorded the single for the small Pa-Go-Go label, owned by Lilly Gonzalez. She backed the band financially, and allowed access to her personal studio in her basement. When it began doing well locally, the band took a recording to Bob Dell, the radio director in Flint, Michigan. The song became the most requested, and wider radio play spread into Canada, where it was picked up by Cameo Records for national distribution.
Various reports have suggested that Question Mark first wrote the song under the title “Too Many Teardrops” and then “69 Tears”, but then changed the title, fearing that radio stations wouldn’t play the song. However, Question Mark denied this in an interview, stating that the number 96 has a deep philosophical meaning for him.
Known for its signature organ licks and bare-bones lyrics, 96 Tears is recognized as one of the first garage band hits, and has even been given credit for starting the punk rock movement.
The song appeared on the band’s album 96 Tears. The follow-up song, I Need Somebody, peaked at #22 later that year, but no other U.S. Top 40 singles followed. 96 Tears is ? and the Mysterians’ only charting hit in Canada and the UK.
Mazes and Monsters (also known as Rona Jaffe’s Mazes and Monsters) is a 1982 American made-for-television drama film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern about a group of college students and their interest in a fictitious role-playing game (RPG) of the same name. The movie starred a 26-year-old Tom Hanks in his first leading film role.
The film opens with a scene that is repeated later in the film in which a reporter meets with police searching a cavern. He is told a game of Mazes and Monsters got out of hand.
Robbie Wheeling (Hanks) starts college at the fictional Grant University and soon develops a group of friends, all of whom have their own personal problems and issues. Jay Jay (Chris Makepeace) feels marginalized by his mother, who constantly redecorates his room since she cannot make up her mind about the best look. In his “self-decorating,” he wears a variety of unusual hats. Kate (Wendy Crewson) has had a series of failed relationships, and suffers from her father leaving home; Daniel’s (David Wallace) parents reject his dream of becoming a video game designer; and Robbie’s alcoholic mother and strict father fight constantly, and he is still tormented by the mysterious disappearance of his brother, Hall. They are fans of Mazes and Monsters, a fantasy role-playing game that had previously caused Robbie to get kicked out of his last school when he became too obsessed with it. Though he is reluctant, the other three students convince him to start playing again with them.
The film was adapted from the novel Mazes and Monsters by Rona Jaffe. Jaffe had based her 1981 novel on inaccurate newspaper stories about the disappearance of James Dallas Egbert III from Michigan State University in 1979. Early media accounts had over-emphasized Egbert’s participation in fantasy role playing, often speculating that his hobby of Dungeons & Dragons might have been a factor in his disappearance. William Dear, the private investigator on the case, explained actual events and the reasons behind the media myth in his 1984 book The Dungeon Master. Jaffe wrote her novel in a matter of days because of a fear that another author might also be fictionalizing the Egbert investigation.
Like the book on which it is based, the film touches on the claim that the playing of role-playing games could be related to psychological problems. At least one protagonist is (or at least appears to be) suffering from schizophrenia.
Jagged Little Pill is the third studio album by Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, released on June 13, 1995, through Maverick. It was her first album to be released worldwide. It marked a stylistic departure from the dance-pop sound of her first two albums, Alanis (1991) and Now Is the Time (1992). Morissette began work on the album after moving from her hometown Ottawa to Toronto; she made little progress until she traveled to Los Angeles, where she met producer Glen Ballard. Morissette and Ballard had an instant connection and began co-writing and experimenting with sounds. The experimentation resulted in an alternative rock album that takes influence from post-grunge and pop rock, and features guitars, keyboards, drum machines, and harmonica. The lyrics touch upon themes of aggression and unsuccessful relationships, while Ballard introduced a pop sensibility to Morissette’s angst. The title of the album is taken from the first verses of the song You Learn.
Jagged Little Pill was a commercial success, topping the charts in thirteen countries. With sales of over 33 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling albums of all time and made Morissette the first Canadian to achieve double diamond sales. Jagged Little Pill was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning five, including Album of the Year, making the 21-year-old Morissette, at the time, the youngest artist to win the top honor. Rolling Stone ranked Jagged Little Pill at No. 69 on its 2020 list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
Six singles were released:
You Oughta Know signalled Morissette’s departure from bubblegum pop to alternative rock, and features guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers. It outperformed the label’s expectations and received positive reviews. After the influential Los Angeles modern rock radio station KROQ-FM began playing it, the single reached the top ten in Canada, Australia and the United States. It was a multiformat hit in several U.S. genre charts, and made the top 40 in Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Hand in My Pocket The song was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard and was released as the second single from the album on October 16, 1995, five months after the album release. Hand in My Pocket received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who applauded Morissette’s songwriting. Hand in My Pocket also received substantial success through radio airplay in the U.S. The song became Morissette’s second #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song also reached the top 10 in New Zealand and Canada, where it was her first #1 single.
Ironic It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, and was produced by him. Ironic present several situations that are described as “ironic;” this has led to debate as to whether any of these actually match the accepted meaning of irony. For six weeks, the track topped the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart. It also reached the top five in Australia, New Zealand, and Norway. In the United States, the song reached #4 on April 13, 1996, and since then it has been her highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100. Ironic was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song won the Juno Award for Single of the Year, and received two Grammy Award nominations in 1997, for Record of the Year and Best Short Form Music Video. French director Stéphane Sednaoui filmed the music video. In it, Morissette drives through a winter landscape, and she plays multiple roles as her passengers. MTV nominated the music video for six MTV Video Music Awards in 1996, winning three of them. The music video was listed on VH1’s “Greatest Music Videos” list.
You Learn It was written by Morissette and Glen Ballard, who also produced the entire album. Musically, the song speaks of the importance of poor decision-making in life by explaining that these decisions can teach valuable lessons. The album title is taken from the line “Swallow it down (what a jagged little pill)”. The song received generally positive reviews from most music critics, many highlighting the song as an album standout. It was a commercial success globally, topping the Canadian RPM Top Singles chart and entering the top 40 in Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In Canada, it was the most successful single of 1996 according to RPM.
Head over Feet was written by Alanis and Glen Ballard, and produced by Ballard and presented a softer sound than the previous singles from the album. Head over Feet talks about best friends with as well as lovers, with Alanis thanking him for his manners, love and devotion. It received positive response from critics, who described it as soft and light. The song became Morissette’s first #1 hit on the U.S. Billboard Adult Top 40 chart and also topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart. In the United Kingdom, it was her first top 10 single, and it reached the top 20 in Australia. In Canada, the song spent eight weeks at number one on the RPM Top Singles Chart, the most of any of her four number-one songs from Jagged Little Pill. The single also peaked at #1 in Iceland.
All I Really Want was the last song written by Alanis Morissette and Glen Ballard for Jagged Little Pill. It originated from a song called The Bottom Line, which was the first song Morissette wrote with Glen Ballard. The single peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, #40 on the ARIA Charts in Australia and #59 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1996.
The album has been re-released twice: on October 30, 2015, in a 2-disc deluxe edition and a 4-disc collector’s edition commemorating its 20th anniversary; and on June 26, 2020, in a 25th anniversary deluxe edition. An acoustic re-recording of the album was released on June 13, 2005, to mark its 10th anniversary. A musical stage production based on the album premiered at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge on May 5, 2018; it transferred to Broadway the following year, and was nominated for 15 Tony Awards including Best Musical. A world tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of Jagged Little Pill began in early 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
When Harold Graves, president of Sawyer’s Photographic Services, went to the Oregon Caves National Monument in 1938, he saw fellow camera buff William Gruber using two cameras strapped together. Gruber explained that he planned to update the stereoscopes common in 19th-century drawing rooms by producing three-dimensional color slides and a new hand-held viewer. By the next morning, the two had made a deal to produce View-Master. They introduced their creation at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and then began selling it through specialty photography stores. Following the lead of its predecessor, the first reels presented views of scenic attractions around the country. In 1951, however, View-Master acquired its main competitor, film-strip production company Tru-Vue, and with it the stereo licensing rights to all Disney characters. Graves and Gruber hit the jackpot. View-Master began offering three-dimensional images of the brand new Disneyland amusement park and stills from Disney movies and television programs. Once sales exploded, View-Master offered slide reels of virtually every major kids’ show and motion picture. A number of different manufacturers have produced View-Master, including Tyco Toys and Fisher-Price. The View Master was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1999.
In 1927, Eduard Haas, an Austrian candy executive, developed a small candy mint which he called PEZ (short for pfefferminz, the German word for peppermint). The peppermint candies were stored in a small tin and sold fairly well for more than 20 years. Initially it was marketed as a tasty alternative to cigarettes for adults attempting to quit smoking. In an effort to boost sales and develop a brand identity for the PEZ mints, the first pez dispensers were introduced in 1948. The original dispensers did not have the trademark heads, which were introduced four years later. These dispensers had cartoon heads and became very popular with children who traded them back and forth. These early dispensers are now very much in demand and are valued treasures among collectors. More than 3 billion PEZ candies are consumed each year and is sold in more than 60 countries around the world but the candies have become almost a secondary item serving as an accessory for the dispensers of which more than 300 have been issued.
Frank Isaac Robinson (born December 28, 1938), known in his early musical career as Sugar Chile Robinson, is an American jazz pianist and singer who became famous as a child prodigy.
Robinson was born in Detroit, Michigan. At an early age he showed unusual gifts singing the blues and accompanying himself on the piano. According to contemporary newsreels, he was self-taught and managed to use techniques including slapping the keys with elbows and fists. He won a talent show at the Paradise Theatre in Detroit at the age of three, and in 1945 played guest spots at the theatre with Lionel Hampton, who was prevented by child protection legislation from taking Robinson on tour with him. However, Robinson performed on radio with Hampton and Harry “The Hipster” Gibson, and also appeared as himself in the Hollywood film No Leave, No Love, starring Van Johnson and Keenan Wynn.
In 1946, he played for President Harry S. Truman at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, shouting out “How’m I Doin’, Mr. President?” – which became his catchphrase – during his performance of Caldonia. He was the first African American performer to appear at the annual WHCA dinner. He began touring major theaters, setting box office records in Detroit and California. In 1949 he was given special permission to join the American Federation of Musicians and record his first releases on Capitol Records, Numbers Boogie and Caldonia, both reaching the Billboard R&B chart. In 1950, he toured and appeared on television with Count Basie and in a short film ‘Sugar Chile’ Robinson, Billie Holiday, Count Basie and His Sextet. The following year, he toured the United Kingdom, appearing at the London Palladium. He stopped recording in 1952, later explaining:
I wanted to go to school... I wanted some school background in me and I asked my Dad if I could stop, and I went to school because I honestly wanted my college diploma.
Until 1956 he continued to make occasional appearances as a jazz musician, billed as Frank Robinson, and performed on one occasion with Gerry Mulligan, but then gave up his musical career entirely. Continuing his academic studies, he earned a degree in history from Olivet College and one in psychology from the Detroit Institute of Technology. In the 1960s, he worked for WGPR-TV, and also helped set up small record labels in Detroit and opened a recording studio.
In recent years he has made a comeback as a musician with the help of the American Music Research Foundation. In 2002, he appeared at a special concert celebrating Detroit music, and in 2007 he traveled to Britain to appear at a rock and roll weekend festival. In the last Dr Boogie show of 2013, Sugar Chile Robinson was the featured artist, with four of his classic hits showcased amid biographical sketches of his early career. On April 30, 2016, he attended the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on the 70th anniversary of his appearance at the 1946 dinner. He met President Obama and was saluted during the dinner, receiving a standing ovation as the picture of him as a child appeared on the video screens. In 2016, he was inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame. 2017 found him suffering from financial debt and having lost his belongings in a house fire. The Music Maker Relief Foundation organization received a call from friends and sent him a bed and put him on a monthly sustenance program. Buddy Smith, who was inspired by Frank in the 40’s, sent him a piano.
James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter born in South Philadelphia. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to pay bills while he continued to write, record, and perform concerts. Croce released his first album, Facets, in 1966, with 500 copies pressed. The album had been financed with a $500 ($3,988 in 2020 dollars) wedding gift from Croce’s parents, who set a condition that the money must be spent to make an album. They hoped that he would give up music after the album failed, and use his college education to pursue a “respectable” profession. However, the album proved a success, with every copy sold. After he formed a partnership with songwriter and guitarist Maury Muehleisen his fortunes turned in the early 1970s. His breakthrough came in 1972; his third album, You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, produced three charting singles, including Time in a Bottle, which reached #1 after his death. The follow-up album, Life and Times, contained the song Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, which was the only #1 hit he had during his lifetime.
On September 20, 1973, at the height of his popularity and the day before the lead single to his fifth album, I Got a Name, was released, Croce and five others died in a plane crash. their chartered Beechcraft E18S crashed into a tree during takeoff from the Natchitoches Regional Airport in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Croce was 30 years old. Others killed in the crash were pilot Robert N. Elliott, Croce’s band mate Maury Muehleisen, comedian George Stevens, manager and booking agent Kenneth D. Cortese, and road manager Dennis Rast.His music continued to chart throughout the 1970s following his death. Croce’s wife, Ingrid Croce, was his early songwriting partner. She continued to write and record after his death and their son A. J. Croce became a singer-songwriter in the 1990s.
Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (Angus $ Robertson, 1918)
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie is a series of books written by Australian author May Gibbs. The books chronicle the adventures of the eponymous Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. The central story arc concerns Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (who are essentially homunculi) and their adventures along with troubles with the villains of the story, the “Banksia Men”. The first book of the series, Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie was published in 1918.
Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, the gumnut babies, are the protagonists of the story and are modeled on the appearance of young Eucalyptus (gum tree) nuts. The female gumnut babies, however, have their hair, hats and skirts modelled on Eucalyptus flowers.
May Gibbs based some of the characters and scenery on the plants found in the bushland of Harvey, Western Australia, where she played as a child.
The “big bad” Banksia Men are the villains of the story and are modelled on the appearance of aged Banksia “cones,” with follicles for eyes and other facial features.
Other books in the series are: Snugglepot and Cuddlepie find Ragged Blossom, Little Ragged Blossom and more about Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, ,Snugglepot and Cuddlepie on Board the Snag and Snugglepot and Cuddlepie meet Mr Lizard.
Richard Mills composed a ballet of the same name in 1987, which was produced for television.
Peter Combe adapted Snugglepot and Cuddlepie into a musical, which was first performed in 1992 at the Adelaide Festival of Arts. It was recorded the following year at the Adelaide Festival Centre with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Ruth Cracknell was a special guest playing the part of May Gibbs.
The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom is a musical adapted by John Clarke and Doug MacLeod, with a book by Clarke and music and lyrics by Alan John. It premiered at the Theatre Royal on January 9, 2007. Adult actors played the parts of the gumnut babies – Darren Gilshenan (Cuddlepie), Tim Richards (Snugglepot) and Ursula Yovich (Ragged Blossom). The story centres on the two characters of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, who befriend a Blossom and search the unknown land of Australia. Unlike Combe’s musical, the 2007 version is a political satire.
The spoken word recording Australian classic children’s collection includes the story as one of four works of children’s literature.
Tibby’s Leaf by Ursula Dubosarsky, the story of child who sees gumnut babies in the bush at the outbreak of World War One, was inspired by Gibbs’ World War One gumnut baby postcards which are held in the collection of the National Museum of Australia.
In 1985 a postage stamp honoring the protagonists or their creator was issued by Australia Post as part of a set of five commemorating children’s books.
On November 27, 1969 May Gibbs died. On passing she bequeathed royalties of her Snugglepot and Cuddlepie creations jointly to the Northcott Society and Cerebral Palsy Alliance (formerly known as The Spastic Centre). Since then both charitable organizations have been able to use these royalties to further their respective programmes helping children and adults with disabilities.
If you love Life Savers hard candies, you probably took notice of this popular cream-swirled variant, which was on store shelves for multiple years. These creme savers took flavors like strawberries and creme to new heights, and the public loved them. This product mysteriously vanished from shelves, despite a hearty effort to make them return. If you want to get your fruit and creme fix, knockoff brands still exist on shelves, though nothing beats the original.
Major update: After being discontinued in 2011, Iconic Candy announced it is bringing back a sweet treat that has been sorely missed for more than a decade.
The family-owned and operated company that specializes in reviving discontinued brands said it worked alongside Mars Wrigley to reformulate the original flavors profiles and master the original candy blends.
While originally offered in three flavors, this beloved candy will make its return with the two most popular flavors of Strawberries & Crème and Orange & Crème flavors.
“This long-anticipated revival comes during a time when consumers yearn for a return to simpler and happier times,” the company said. “Iconic Candy, who has pioneered returning long sought-after confections exactly the way they were, knows better than most that there are but a handful of candies that can serve as a portal in time.”
They will be sold in all Big Lots stores across 47 states starting in mid-September, a news release said.
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes.
Dr. Jason Seaver (portrayed by Alan Thicke), a psychiatrist, works from home because his wife, Maggie (Joanna Kerns), has gone back to work as a reporter. Jason has to take care of the kids: ladies’ man and rebellious troublemaker Mike (Kirk Cameron), bookish honors student Carol (Tracey Gold), and rambunctious Ben (Jeremy Miller) who follows Mike as his role model and become a troublemaker too.
A fourth child, Chrissy Seaver (twins Kelsey and Kirsten Dohring; Ashley Johnson), is born at the beginning of season 4, a day after Ben’s 12th birthday. She was played in her newborn/infant stage by two uncredited sets of twin sisters, who remained in the role until season four (1988–89) ended. By season five (1989–90), she was played in her toddler stage by alternating twins Kirsten and Kelsey Dohring. In seasons six and seven (1990–92), Chrissy’s age was advanced to five years old. A new cast member was added for the seventh and final season (1991–92) when homeless teen Luke Brower (Leonardo DiCaprio) is brought into the Seaver family to live with them until nearly the end of season seven.
Growing Pains spawned the spin-off series, Just the Ten of Us, which featured Coach Graham Lubbock, Mike and Carol’s gym teacher, moving to California with his large family to teach at an all-boys Catholic school after he was fired from Thomas Dewey High School.