A couple of retro stops, and a stroll in the misty mountains...

Off to that great movie snack bar in the misty mountains: a surprisingly mellow Carpenters-inspired Dr. Pepper movie theater ad from the early 1970s.

Ahh, the joys of grocery shopping. There was a time when consumer product packaging was much, much more exuberant than it is now, and this very impressive Flickr slideshow of containers, labels and ads from the 50s through the early 80s brings that point home beautifully. Is it just me, or do those Dr. Pepper bottles just look like they'd contain something insanely enjoyable? (Caveat--I love Dr. Pepper so much that I ration it out, lest I need to switch to Diet Dr. Pepper eventually..)

Of course, if you've oversdosed on that sweetly carbonated ambrosia, there's no more fun way to work of those calories than a bit of roller disco--or perhaps a long jog in suede "bizarro Nikes" is more your speed? Whatever your suburban "leisure activity" of choice might be, chances are good that the 1980 JCPenney Fall-Winter Catalog had something to help you look your foxiest.

We'll boogie on back with more retro stops soon...

Song of the Day: "Touch of Magic" by James Leroy (1974)

The arrangement of "Touch of Magic" on this video from Keith Hampshire's Music Machine is decidedly more Bread-style pop than the somewhat country-flavored single version. (You can hear the radio edit at JamesLeroy.com, an excellent tribute site.) But all the elements that made "Touch of Magic" so quietly splendid--a sweeping melody, Leroy's straighforward, honest voice and some of the most matter-of-factly romantic lyrics ever--are evident in this grainy but precious clip of Leroy singing his Canadian classic live. Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Nothing But a Heartache" by the Flirtations (1969)

There's really not much I can write about this classic slice of Northern soul that hasn't been said already, but this classic video was new to me--I only saw it for the first time last month, and have watched it about 7826 times since. Three lovely American ladies in killer pink flare knit pantsuits, the stark beauty of Tintern Abbey, and a drop-dead stunning song--what's not to like?

Judging by the other clips available on YouTube (check out this cute black and white Beat Club segment), the color video was filmed a while after the song peaked on the charts--and the fact that such a hard-to-get-to locale was chosen says a lot about how well it must have done in the UK. Why wasn't it a big hit here in the States? Beats me. That "lovin' a bad guy is such a sin" line is priceless, and the mysterious refrain--is it "he's got me, oh why can't I get him" or "he's got me all won, can I get him?" gives two totally different spins on the story, depending on which one you go with. (I'm going with the latter, and assuming she got him, too. I like happy endings...)

If you're curious about how the Flirtations sounded (and looked) post-70s, enjoy Ian Levine's irresistible 2007 "Resist the Temptation" clip, and hit Wikipedia for lots of where-are-they-now stuff. Viola Billups (a.k.a. "Pearly Gates") has an individual entry, and if that lovely picture doesn't illustrate the benefits of taking good care of yourself when you're young (hey, Britney!), I'll wear those pink flares to work tomorrow...oh, who am I kidding. I'd wear those pink flares anyway!

These were the ladies I wanted to be when I grew up--I just didn't know it at the time. Enjoy!