This Week in History - Feb. 6-12
By: David Ball
Posted: Februrary 6, 2010
Well folks, this week’s edition just happens to overlap with SoundProof’s fully-engorged Sex Week special feature. Not to be outdone—or overlooked—I’ve found some sex-related music stories for you to suck on:
‘60s and ’70s heartthrob Tom Jones reportedly still gets “panties” flung at him during his concerts, but the Welshman is pushing 70 and has an aging fan base, so I bet what he likes to call “panties” can be more accurately described as “bloomers.” Whatever the style of female undergarment still hitting him in the face, good on the horny old geezer… he’s still got it. Back on February 7, 1969, Mr. Jones, at the tail-end of his prime, tried his luck hosting his very own TV variety show, This Is Tom Jones. To his credit, the larger-than-life singer didn’t produce a bomb. In fact, the program had a respectful three-year, 65-episode run. The highlight of each show was Jones performing his hits, occasionally doing duets with some of his big-name guest stars, including Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker. Indeed, the program’s success also unleashed his tight-fitting suit-pants to a brand new television audience. I bet panties were flung at TV screens around the world.
Although nowadays he appeals more to a cougar demographic, Rod “The Mod” Stewart was one of rock’s reining sex-symbols and biggest stars during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Combining his talents as a composer and/or song-interpreter with his androgynous appearance and seductive rasp, the former Jeff Beck Group and Faces frontman achieved several charting singles during the ‘70s, including “Maggie May”, “You Wear it Well", and “Tonight’s The Night"; but perhaps his most famous ’45, “Do You Think I’m Sexy”, reached No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart on February 10, 1979. Although critics at the time were quick to dump on Stewart, angry with the song’s disco arrangement, his fans certainly found the song sexy enough: the Blondes Have More Fun tune stayed at No.1 for four weeks and sold millions worldwide. Written by Stewart and drumming ace Carmine Appice, “Do You Think I’m Sexy” is about sex (duh), in the form of a salacious one-night stand begat the old fashioned way: by hooking up at a bar. Of course, looking back today at the dated music video leaves us all thinking: “How in the hell could that pasty, tranny-looking scarecrow ever become a sex symbol”? It's easy folks: Back in the “old days,” talent won-out over looks. Too bad it ain’t the same with today’s music scene.
On February 9, 1975, Paul Simon achieved his first post-Garfunkel No. 1 hit with “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover". Written after his divorce from first wife, Peggy Harper, the song probably also helped Simon deal with his future lover, Carrie Fisher. Judging by Fisher’s much-publicized lunacy around the time of their divorce, Simon, for safety’s sake, more than likely heeded his song’s own advice to… “Slip out the back, Jack” or “Make a new plan, Stan” or even “Just drop off the key, Lee/And get yourself free”.
February 10, 1980, The Captain & Tennille scored their second No. 1 hit with the saccharine-drenched love song, “Do it To Me One More Time”. For those that have seen the cuddly piano-playing Daryl “Captain” Dragon (BTW, he never takes off that suspicious-looking ship-captain’s hat) and that singer-wife of his (who looks like Love Boat’s cruise director, Julie McCoy), the thought of them “doing it”—even just one time—is either hilarious or horrifying. I believe the latter is most accurate. I wonder if Mr. Dragon wears his hat to bed?
I think it’s fitting that I add a couple of bonus Valentine’s Day tidbits for you all:
The aforementioned Captain and Toni Tennille were married on February 14, 1974… and they remain happily married today. Congratulations go out to their apparent ever-lasting union. The music they produced together? Not so much.
But not all Valentine’s Day marriages were meant to last. Case in point: the now infamous smokescreen of a marital union between Reginald Kenneth Dwight, aka Elton John, and his German-born female sound engineer, Renate Blauel. The pair tied the knot on St. Valentine’s Day, 1984, in Sydney, Australia. Their marriage lasted an impressive four years before it inevitably dissolved given John’s (back then) quite buried sexual orientation. At least John gave “traditional” marriage a good old college try.
More from Sex Week here. This is the last story from me for a month: I’m off to the Olympics. See you in March!
Video: "Do You Think I'm Sexy" performed by Rod Stewart
