I Want My MTV

As noted earlier, on August 1 the world changed – Music Television debuted and the Mighty Juke Box suffered a mortal blow. At midnight when the channel came on the air it played, in order, the following 25 videos:

1. “Video Killed the Radio Star,” The Buggles
2. “You Better Run,” Pat Benatar



3. “She Won’t Dance,” Rod Stewart
4. “You Better You Bet,” The Who
5. “Little Suzi’s on the Up,” Ph.D.
6. “We Don’t Talk Anymore,” Cliff Richard
7. “Brass in Pocket,” The Pretenders




8. “Time Heals,” Todd Rundgren
9. “Take it on the Run,” REO Speedwagon
10. “Rockin’ the Paradise,” Styx
11. “When Things Go Wrong,” Robin Lane and The Chartbusters
12. “History Never Repeats,” Split Enz
13. “Hold on Loosely,” .38 Special
14. “Just Between You and Me,” April Wine
15. “Sailing,” Rod Stewart
16. “Iron Maiden,” Iron Maiden
17. “Keep On Loving You,” REO Speedwagon
18. “Message of Love,” The Pretenders
19. “Mr. Briefcase,” Lee Ritenour
20. “Double Life,” The Cars
21. “In the Air Tonight,” Phil Collins
22. “Clues,” Robert Palmer
23. “Too Late,” The Shoes



24. “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” Stevie Nicks, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
25. “Surface Tension,” Rupert Hine

1981

Wow! That was the year that was. So big it took over a month to detail and, as with all these drunken years, I’m quite certain we have forgotten more than we have detailed herein. In any case; that’s a wrap.

1981
JAN – Iggles in the Super Bowl?
FEB – Tee, Phil, Randy, and John sign on the bottom line
MAR – The Second Coming
APR – The Mighty 340 Club Juke Box
MAY –Intell Music Makers Poll
JUN – Letter from the Landlord
JUL – Outrageous Parties!
AUG – Music Television
SEP – Stones in Philly
OCT – absolutely nothing happened
NOV - ditto
DEC - Santa Claus, as always, visited the good boys and girl at the 340 Club

1981 was in the book
President Ronnie Raygunz
Governor Dick Thornburgh
Mayor Art Morris
CPI – 90.9
U.R. – 7.6%
Life exp – 74.1
Violent crime – 58.6
World Population – 4.529B
U.S. Population – 229.5M
Best Picture Oscar – Ordinary People
Ted’s # 85


NCAA BK – North Carolina 63-62 over Georgetown, setting the stage for Mike Jordan in the NBA and Villanova a few years later
Indy 500 – Bobby Unser
NBA – Boston Celtics, 4-2, over Houston Rockets
NHL – Isles sweep Canucks, 4-0
MLB – LA Dodgers beat New York Yankees in six
Horse of Year – John Henry
Hvwt Champ – Larry Holmes, WBC; Mike Weaver, WBA
NCAA F – penn state 11-1
NFL (1/82) San Francisco 26-21 over Cincinnati Bengals

From the Poet Laureate

Try and look inside your mind
there is much unknown to find
be self honest you are not blind
recognize when you are unkind

There can be no reason or rhyme
for any persons deliberate crime
or for transgressions which are sublime
for these this world shall have no time

There is no benefit in acting coy
or other people try to annoy
Instead show love for every girl & boy
and permeate this world with joy

JJN or Shine A Light Better Get to the Burg Soon

Apologies if I bore ya but its time to git yer ya ya's out

Welcome to the Breakfast Show, MSG, '69



Even earlier, with Brian, 1968



The Concert for Bangladseh, Leon Russell, 1971



Johnny Winter, 1974



Bon Jovi, 2008



G n R, 1986



Tina, 1982

“I can’t go on pretending to be eighteen much longer” – Mick, 9/25/81

The “greatest day in rock” (i.e. the June 17, 1978 Rolling Stones/Bonnie Parker Band doubleheader attended by a score of 340 Clubbers; see 12/17’s virtual club entry) was indeed a spectacular day but was not a critical success for the Stones. Mick had a severe cold and the band was far from on point. Thus, when the 1981 tour was being planned Mick insisted that the lid lifter be in Philadelphia.

After a warm up in a club in Worcester Mass; the Stones opened their Tattoo You tour on September 25, 1981 at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Unlike ’78, I ventured to Philly for my 5th Stones show, case of beer in tow, by myself. God it was great to be young. Needless to say by the time I approached the sports complex exits on the Surekill I was feeling no pain. Gratefully traffic was moving very slowly. In fact so slowly that I bought my ticket (tickets since the scalper insisted a pair or nothing) on the highway during a traffic jam. Memory tells me that I paid $20 for the pair and traded the 2nd in for a tee-shirt.

Here is the setlist:
Take the A Train
Under My Thumb
When The Whip Comes Down
Neighbours
Just My Imagination
Shattered
Let’s Spend The Night Together
Black Limousine
She’s So Cold
Time Is On My Side
Beast Of Burden
Waiting On A Friend
Let It Bleed
Band introduction
You Can’t Always Get What You Want
Tops
Tumbling Dice
Hang Fire
Let Me Go
Little T & A
Start Me Up
Miss You
Honky Tonk Women
All Down The Line
Brown Sugar
Jumping Jack Flash
Street Fighting Man
Satisfaction

I remember much of the show but my most poignant memory is the last song before the powerful SFM/Satisfaction encore – Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Near the the end of the song a cherry picker descends on stage and Jagger gets in the basket (see the cab river video in the previous post) and rises and then extends out over the crowd tossing roses. I had a great seat (a great stand actually) not too far back from where the bucket hung. It was powerful; I was drunk; I cried (as I am apt to do at a Stones show). I remember thinking it would be really cool if they did “Emotional Rexcue” as their encore because we were all in need of one. Instead they slammed us deeper into need with a rousing Street Fightin’ Man and Satisfaction. After the show I remember venturing deep into North Philly to see some barmaid who never earned a number but took me home and gimmee a bath to help me sober up.

This Could Be The Last Time

9/25/81 JFK Stadium, Philadelphia

Interstingly, even though this was the tour that introduced Start Me Up; the opener was Under My Thumb and captured pretty well in this YouTube video -



Same tour, not same show



Ditto



Ditto, one from keef



Ditto, one for the APBA players



This one has poor music quality but insight into life in Philly during a Stones show from a cabbies perspective. It also captures the Jumping Jack Flash finale that I will discuss below.

Curator's Corner

Bonnie Parker at CBGBs in the 90s

Trivia: 77-81

There will be some trivia questions posed at the reunion in June. To help you prep for such an event from time to time questions will be posed here in the Blog so you can revive some old memories and rev up your response time. To that end here are a few questions:

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS:

Honest, I had written my questions before seeing Phil's last week but apparently GMTA because mine are also on the Bonnie Parker Band?

77 What was the name of the big man on the Bonnie Parker sound board?

78 What is the name of Bonnie's current band?

79 What is the name of the band Richie most recently appeared with in Yonkers?

80 What is Rudy's kid's band named?

81 What style of music is Rudy most currently associated with now? and what is the name of the band, hopefully, he will be touring Amerika with soon?

Lastly, if anyone knows the whereabouts, website, e-mail, blog, myspace page of Billy from Philly please let us know.

LAST WEEK'S Q & A:
74)What was the name of the first guitarist other than Rudy or Richie to appear with the Bonnie Parker Band in Lancaster? I have no fucking clue ... hopefully Phil will post the answer soon enuff. Oops. Forgot to send Tee the answers..It was Mike Costello

75)What famous New York night club in the Bowery did we once take a van load to hear the Bonnie Parker Band? CBGBs

76)At the above night club, what classic Punk-Rock group was in the rathskelter, getting high? The Ramones

The List: 1981 (Part 2)

I know this topic – The List – is not anything to brag about, nor is it politically correct or polite, nor does it share a lot of commonality with the other aspects of the blog. Consequently, I should not be surprised to have received a complaint this week about the topic and its necessity and/or appropriateness. “Why all the sex?” was the specific complaint. All I can say is I feel the need to document this aspect of me that the 340 elicited. I hope it is not too disrespectful, demeaning or seen as braggadocio; I mean nothing of the kind. I certainly do not mean it to be sexual, lewd, or titillating in any way. It is just a bit of me that I felt the need to include if I’m going to document my experience in the decadent decade on West King Street.

So, without further adieu or apologia, back to The List. The second half of the year continued with a young lady (#77) at the Dutch Inn in Jersey at a street hockey tourney, a pick up (#78) at Zangari South one Sunday evening, less said the better about the next one (#79), the next young lady (#80) and I made sweet music on the banks of the Conestoga near Sunnyside and in her orange bug, her ex (I think and hoped at the time) was 6-5, 330, next was a nice young lady (#81) who I ticked off too early in our all to brief relationship, I met the next young woman (#82) at the Village and took her across the street to the Brunswick rather than the 340, a Fairmont House bar maid (#83) was next, then there was a friend (#84) of the piano keys, the year ended with a little cradle robbery as the girl (#85) might have been as young as 16. She caused one of the few arguments that Phil & I had on King Street. The juke was a little too loud for her tastes and I turned the music down; well, Phil musta been diggin’ the rock n’ roll cause he rather quickly and assertively turned it right back up. I showed restraint and that was the end of the flare up. The young lady and I were a number for a while but, of course, it could not last. The year ended with my having made 18 new friends as well as renewing acquaintances with 12 friends from earlier times. I can’t help but call that year – for me at least – the Summer of Love.

Okay, we know you survived TMI but ...

You know you want one ... so see Phil now




These buttons will be on sale only at the reunion ... $3 each; two fer $5

From the Golden Age of Music Television

A new feature starting today in keeping with the times of August 1981 will be the presentation of an early M TV classic; and so –



The truth was that, while the juke may have had a lesser profile, the 340 Club fueled by Music Television rocked on.

From the (not so) Mighty Juke

It’s a wrap, well sort of since the Mighty 340 Juke is a difficult machine to turn off but then again. Here’s three from the Juke

Video Killed the Mighty Juke

The Wrestling Extravaganza was a hit … a score of guys drinking, eating, cursing, swearing, cheering, laffing and enjoying 20 of the greatest athletes ever to lace up a pair of boots compete in the squared circle of the Spectrum. The juke box likely blared from time to time over the announcers although the commentary was often worth the price of admission. Immediately after the show was over Kenny would be expected to jump up from a couch and jam quarters into the juke box; however this time he likely got up and approached the TV and switched the channel to the newest of cable offerings which had debuted only hours before – Music Television or M-TV.

You see, August 1 was not just the Wrestling Extravaganza but also the day the music was born. For at midnight August 1, 1981 a new channel appeared on cable boxes all across the country. It featured nothing but music, music videos played by – not dee jays – vee jays. WE remember them well, Martha, Mark, JJ and others. It was wall to wall music with videos, often packed with scantily clad sexy vixens and outrageous behavior and spoofs. I ordered my MTV jacket. Kenny’s movement to the front of the room to the television rather than to the rear and the mighty 340 Club juke box was more than symbolic. It portended the end of a brief era. The first song that was played on MTV earlier that day was a ditty called “Video Killed the Radio Star (by The Buggles)”. It also killed the 340 juke.

For the two weeks prior to MTV’s debut the juke box netted $54.65. Over the two weeks following the debut, only $20.20 was found in the box. This despite the fact that the weekend of August 14-15 scored $9.95. The fortnight included an unheard of 5 shutouts and four other one coin days.

Oh there were still big nites – Sunday, August 23 earned $10.55 and August 30th, another Sunday, immortalized as “Boycott” made $12.40; however the trend could not have been starker. From August 1 through the end of the year saw only $170.96 in revenues or $1.12 per day. This was 72% less per day then in the time proceeding August 1.

It was morning in Amerika; it was midnight for the mighty juke

What ta fuck?

I heard you on the wireless back in Fifty Two
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you.
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.

Oh-a oh

They took the credit for your second symphony.
Rewritten by machine and new technology,
and now I understand the problems you can see.

Oh-a oh

I met your children
Oh-a oh

What did you tell them?
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.

Pictures came and broke your heart.
Oh-a-a-a oh

And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.

Oh-a oh

You were the first one.
Oh-a oh

You were the last one.

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone to far
Oh-a-aho oh,
Oh-a-aho oh

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.

In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone to far.
Pictures came and broke your heart, put the blame on VTR.

You are a radio star.
You are a radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star. (You are a radio star.)

Home Sweet Home

I delivered 50 340 Club cards to Phil this afternoon. Please order yours tomorrow or soon. They cost $20, make a nice souvenir in their own right, serve as your all-access pass to the June 7th reunion, entitle you to a souvenir 340 Club button, plus all the beer you care to drink, a munchies buffet, ability to see the 340 Club artifacts, view the PowerPoint, purchase additional (variety) buttons And tee shirts. See Phil and soon. We need the seed funds. It is a $1500+ affair.

My trip to Lancaster was a blast!

First stop the beer distributor of course. I stopped at Kirchner’s Beer Distributor to discuss a renewal of the policy of honoring the 340 Club cards for a $1.00 discount on a case of Pabst. Young Matt and his brother Keith, Andy’s sons, informed me that such policy ran afoul of PLCB laws now and then (i.e. in ’81). However, Matt promised to work with us and perhaps they will figure something out or perhaps become the first business to purchase a $25 ad in the reunion program. Davy Gabriel was working hard and gave me a friendly wave and somewhere in the bowels of their new, sprawling distribution building Mike Kendig was hard at work. It was a nice stop that despite Andy stating that 27 years was beyond his ability to remember made me feel right at home and setup the rest of the visit.

Next up was the Captain himself. As I approached the door I heard Cisco, Phil’s sentinel dog, begin the alert with his deep German Shepherd bark. I gave my knock – tap, pause, tap, tap, tap, tap – that certainly let Phil know who was knocking. It was a nice brief visit that culminated with the dog shoeing me out but lovingly. In between I signed the remaining 340 Club cards as a trustee and one, #1, as a member. I had left a sample card behind at Kirchner’s so I left Phil with 48 to sell. As I alluded to earlier please buy them quickly. Only 150 can be sold per Knights of Columbus capacity.

After Phil it was off to the APBA Game Company but passing through Quaker Hills saw me finding Mr. Kindbom at his mailbox. I grew up with his kids, Kathy, Jack and mostly Larry. In fact it was Larry who introduced me to Ajax Baseball (turned out to be APBA but you know 10 year olds). At APBA I was greeted by Veryl Lincoln, who coincidentally coached Larry in youth baseball, who has worked at the game company for over 40 years. I purchased two card sets (2007 and Set 3 ATOP) for $84 (which woulda cost me about $20 when Larry & I first played) and had a nice brief visit. The game company is only about a half mile from Kirchner’s so I completed my loop driving past the distributorship and back to Harrisburg. It is possible to go home and hope to do it a few more times (after all there are 100 more cards to sell) before the June 7th reunion.

From the Poet Laureate

Where by Christopher E. Joyce

If I ever get out of here
wonder where it will be I go
will I remember me as I am now
Or is not that the way that you grow (See Psychology)

The Pinnacle, The Apex, The Summit OR It’s all downhill from here

For me, the night of August 1st – symbolically if nothing else – represented the very pinnacle of life at 340 West King Street … it was the night of a pay-per-view event known forever as the WRESTLING EXTRAVAGANZA.

Just a week ago, on the eve of the Fools Day, Floyd Mayweather (39-0), a 150 pound boxer, disposed of The Big Show, a 400 pound professional wrassler in a challenge match as part of Wrestlemania XXIV. Undoubtedly, had the 340 club still been in existence we woulda bought it and had the usual gang of idiots on the couches watching the action. Wrestlemania traces its lineage back to Wrestlemania I in 1985. However, before the WWF hit its stride (and earned a third W) there were other pay-per-view events that were the progenitors of Wrestlemania. One such spectacle took place on August 1, 1981 and the 340 Club promoted it as the Wrestling Extravaganza. For me, the event symbolizes the peak of the Club’s greatness not so much for the event itself but the symbolism of what happened before and after.



The Setup:

The Club was furnished superbly with a raised TV on a table at the far end sitting on another TV. The lower television sometimes didn’t even work and was merely a stand for the other. The top TV was tuned into to Prism or whatever the PPV vehicle at the time presented such spectacles. In front of the TV was a couch, behind the couch was another couch and behind that was a third sofa. So, the 340 living room had stacked TVs vertically and stacked davenports horizontally. Behind the divans was a raised bar with stools and tucked into the corner behind it was the still mighty 340 Club juke box.

The Souvenir Program:

On the cover was a stock wrestling photo under the headline WELCOME TO THE 340 CLUB’s Wrestling EXTRAVAGANZA … Saturday, August 1, 1981 – 8:30 p.m. 340 West King Street – Lancaster, PA

The centerfold consisted of a copy of an ad for the event from the Philadelphia Journal billing the feature match a 20 man battle royale … in which twenty all-star wrestlers enter the ring and go at until there is a last man in the ring and he gets to do battle with the champ – Bob Backlund. The live event took place at the Spectrum in Philly and could be attended for tickets ranging from $5.50 to $7.50. Also depicted in the program were 3 or 4 entries from the Funk & Wagnall such as ex-trav-a-gance, ex-tra, ex-trav-a-gan-za and ex-trav-a-gate complete with pronunciations, definitions and alternate definitions.



The back page had a brief write up on the card and the credits:

Special thanks to: City of Lancaster, Prism, WWWF, Serena Kirchner Beer Distributor, The 340 Club.

Typist: Audrey

A Ted Knorr/Phil Zangari Production

The Card
1-4. Prelims
5. Battle Royale featuring the Rex Moondog, King Moondog, Andre the Giant, Magnificent Murocco, Killer Khan, Pedro Morales, S.D. “Special Delivery” Jones, Curt Henning, Dominic DeNucci, Larry Sharpe, Baron Mikel Sicluna, Strong Kobiashi, Johnny Rodz, Chris Cannon, Bulldog Brower, King Kong Mosca, Rick Martel and Tony Garea.

Intermission
6. Prelim
7. Pat Patterson vs. Sgt. Slaughter in an Alley Match (i.e. no rules, no referee, wear whatever you want, bout ends when one man can no longer continue)
8. Bob Backlund, WWF Champion defends against the winner of the Battle Royale

The Results:

I have no clue

The Aftermath:

I do know this; it was a Saturday in the summer of 1981 and house was packed from 6 till 2 and the juke box take was only $6.55. Why so little? Was it an off night? An aberration? the answer, sadly, was that it was no aberration … it was a new dawn or more accurately – a new midnight.




Check back at the Virtual Club on Thursday for the rest of the story.

April 7 > May 7 > June 7

Two months till the 340 Club Reunion

Curator's Corner

FRONT ......>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...... BACK

Above is the brand new seen for the first time ever 2008 official 340 Club card prototype. Hopefully, Phil will be able to display a real one tomorrow (or the next day). He will have them available for sale at $20. They entitle you to admission to the June 7th reunion and to receive a souvenir program, commemorative button, free beer and munchies, admission to the 340 museum featuring a PowerPoint presentation plus special guest stars and the music from the mighty 340 juke box.

Trivia: 74-76

There will be some trivia questions posed at the reunion in June. To help you prep for such an event from time to time questions will be posed here in the Blog so you can revive some old memories and rev up your response time. To that end here are a few questions:

THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONS:
74)What was the name of the first guitarist other than Rudy or Richie to appear with the Bonnie Parker Band in Lancaster ?

75)What famous New York night club in the Bowery did we once take a van load to hear the Bonnie Parker Band ?

76)At the above night club, what classic Punk-Rock group was in the rathskelter, getting high ?





Last Weeks Q & A's
71. What was the phone number of the 340 Club, second coming?
BONUS: What 340 Club irregular was responsible for procuring the unique cubing combination?
Glenn Schneider assisted me in obtaining 397 2228 for the Outpost of Humanity. Later, upon the second coming the number was transferred to the 340 Club. Interestingly, John & Sue Emswiller's current number, that they obtained way back in '84 upon their sucessful evacuation from the 338, contains the combination "222".

72. What food staple, served best by Bobbie, is no longer sold at The Village Nite Club?
Cheeseburgers and they were sorely missed a couple of Saturday's ago.

73. What brand and model is the mighty 340 Club juke?
Rockola GP 160