MY APOLOGIES for neÂglecting regÂular readers of my blogs for the past few months. ForÂtuÂnately, there is a good reason for this that has nothing to do with those silly ruÂmors cirÂcuÂlated by the VRC that I had run off and joined a proÂgresÂsive comÂmune in VerÂmont left over from those hippie-wannabe days of yore. Sigh, as enÂticing as that sounds, thereâs work yet to be done. 1
In fact, I have been working night and day (and whatÂever is in beÂtween those times) on a top-secret project with two other writers, John Ross and Lew Shiner. So seÂcret has been this project that even the VRC has been in a web of darkÂness throughout it!
And that project is Tell It Like It Was, a new onÂline pubÂliÂcaÂtion that launched on Medium a few secÂonds after midÂnight on JanÂuary 1, 2019.
Tell It Like It Was is a new pubÂliÂcaÂtion that looks at the classic rock & roll, soul, and reÂlated pop music of the â60s.
Tell It Like It Was looks at the rock & roll, soul, and reÂlated pop music of the years 1955-1975, foÂcusing on the â60s. That was the time when the true clasÂsics of these genres were conÂceived, comÂposed, and recordedâyears beÂfore the misÂnomer classic rock was coined to sell the music from the lachryÂmose â70s and â80s.
The â60s were a time when AM radioâs Top 40 had a fairly reÂlaxed format and any type of music could be played: rock, soul, folk, pop, silly novÂelty songs, and even (shudder) country & western records!
It was the peÂriod when we youngÂsters who bought mono 45s for 89¢ gradÂuÂated to buying stereo LPs for $3.99. And for the most part, the music and artists that sold the most sinÂgles also sold the most albums!
And that is some of the topics that will be disÂcussed on Tell It Like It Was. John, Lew, and I share a pasÂsionate deÂlight with and for this music and the times in which they were made. The three of us will be writing about the music, the records, the artists, and other asÂpects of that time.
Tell It Like It Was will include:
⢠esÂsays
⢠arÂtiÂcles
⢠reviews
⢠interviews
And more than the usual amount of exÂclaÂmaÂtion marks!
A hybrid publication
Medium is an onÂline pubÂlishing platÂform that Wikipedia deÂscribes as âan exÂample of soÂcial jourÂnalism, having a hyÂbrid colÂlecÂtion of amÂaÂteur and proÂfesÂsional people and pubÂliÂcaÂtions.â Medium puts it anÂother way:
âMedium taps into the brains of the worldâs most inÂsightful writers, thinkers, and stoÂryÂtellers to bring you the smartest takes on topics that matter. So whatÂever your inÂterest, you can alÂways find fresh thinking and unique perspectives.â
Anyone can view most of the conÂtent on Medium reÂgardÂless of whether or not they have an acÂcount with the platÂform. But in order to pubÂlish on Medium and to inÂteract with other folks on Medium, you need to have an acÂcount and be logged in.
Medium is an exÂample of soÂcial jourÂnalism that taps into the brains of the worldâs most inÂsightful writers to bring you the smartest takes on topics that matter.
You can create a FREE acÂcount in less than a minute by going to Medium and clicking the Get started button in the center of the page. Then you sign up using FaceÂbook or Google. With this free account:
⢠You can read all of the stoÂries exÂcept those beÂhind the paywall.
⢠You can pubÂlish your stoÂries but without getÂting paid.
You can also beÂcome a paid Medium Member for $5 per month. With this paid account:
⢠You can read all of the stoÂries inÂcluding those beÂhind the paywall.
⢠You can pubÂlish your stoÂries and get paid for those pubÂlished beÂhind the payÂwall. 2
Today and beyond
Medium claims more than 60,000,000 monthly readers, which is a wee bit more than this blog will get in a thouÂsand years. So, of course, I am hoping that a few of these readers will find Tell It Like It Was and read the stuff that John and Lew and I laÂboÂriÂously if joyÂfully proÂduced. Our pubÂliÂcaÂtion was launched with five arÂtiÂcles on one day: 3
1.
Tell It Like It Was is launched is baÂsiÂcally me blogÂging in an old-fashioned way about this that and the other thing and what we will be doing on Medium, today and beyond.
2.
InÂtroÂducÂtion to Tell It Like It Was exÂplains that the inÂtent of our efÂforts is to share our exÂciÂtaÂtions and good viÂbraÂtions about the music of the â60s. (And if you want to know why Buzz Aldrin on the Moon is all over this page, you need to read this introduction.)
3.
InÂtroÂducÂtion to The TopÂperÂmost of the PopÂperÂmost is an in-depth (and lengthy) exÂplaÂnaÂtion of what readers need to know about a 10-part seÂries of arÂtiÂcles from the three of us tiÂtled âThe TopÂperÂmost of the PopÂperÂmost.â In it, we adÂdress each of the #1 records of the â60s with data, opinion, and anecÂdote. We beÂlieve that you might have as much fun reading them as we hard writing them!
4.
The TopÂperÂmost of the Poppermostâs Greatest Hits 1960â1969 is a comÂpiÂlaÂtion of #1 records from the 10-part seÂries of arÂtiÂcles with one chart-topper from each year of the â60s.
5.
Save the Last Twist for Me is a lengthy look at each of the records that reached #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 charts during 1960. It is comÂposed and laid out to read like an onÂgoing conÂverÂsaÂtion beÂtween John, Lew, and me about the records, the artists, the times, and anyÂthing that came to our fantod-free minds.
Finger-cramping clapping
A very inÂterÂesting asÂpect of Medium memÂberÂship is that a porÂtion of the $5 each member pays each month is diÂvided up among the writers whose work they read. This divvying up of monies is based on readÂerâs apÂplause using the clap-button that is a part of every storyâand you can clap until your finÂgers cramp on the keyÂboard to enÂsure that your faÂvorite writers get your money!
NeedÂless to say, I am enÂcourÂaging each and every reader of my blogs to beÂcome a dues-paying member of Medium and reÂliÂgiously follow Tell It Like It Was!!
NeedÂless to say, I am enÂcourÂaging all dues-paying memÂbers of Medium to clap for our stoÂries until the finÂgers on their keyÂboards are numb!!!
FOOTNOTES:
1 The VRC is the good olâ vast rightwing conÂspiracy that everyone asÂsured us didnât exist when Mrs. Clinton dared menÂtion it twenty-four years ago. Now weâve got a man in the Oval OfÂfice who openly emÂbraced white suÂpremaÂcists and a VP in the wings furÂther to the right than the PresÂiÂdent! Now that I think about it, Iâm not aware of anyone â jourÂnalist, talking-head, fellow politiÂcian, etc. â apolÂoÂgizing to Hillary for treating her like a paraÂnoid, conspiracy-theory-mongering loon and acÂknowlÂedging her inÂstead as a bringer-of-light into the dark abyss of AmerÂican politics.
2 The monthly memÂberÂship fee alÂlows Medium to funcÂtion without adÂverÂtiseÂments while paying at least some of their writers someÂthing for their work.
3 Medium refers to everyÂthing pubÂlished on their platÂform to be a story, inÂcluding comÂments readers leave to other writersâ stories.