It was the '60s, and a new mood was sweeping the nation. Spreading out from the West Coast, the young generation was embracing new sounds, new visual concepts, and an expanded consciousness. As the cries of love, peace, and freedom were heard all across America, accompanied by the sound of electric guitars, people everywhere were asking themselves the same question: "How can we make money off all this hippie stuff?" This collection of 62 rare radio spots offers plentiful examples of how psychedelic culture and the youth movement were used to move merchandise of various sorts in the mid- to late-'60s. Hear ads for local rock clubs, promo spots for movies like Wild in the Streets, The Green Slime, and The Wild Angels, commercials featuring stars such as
the Rolling Stones
,
Jefferson Airplane
the Cowsills
Cream
the Troggs
, and
the Rationals
, and sales pitches that try to make electric razors, deodorant, coffee, hot dogs, and even laundry detergent sound hip and with it. Also included are radio spots for then-current albums by
the Velvet Underground
and
Moby Grape
Pete Townshend
of
the Who
endorsing the United States Air Force, and even a promo record in which the garage rock band
Doug Brown & the Omens
sing the praises of Michigan Senate candidate Robert P. Griffin. Ideal for pop culture obsessives and anyone who likes to ponder just when and where their favorite rock stars began to sell out. ~ Mark Deming