Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Clear Your Schedule. This May Take A While...

The last post reminded me of how cool I thought the Vietnam, gun-trucks were back then but it made me regret that the only one I touched on was Eve of Destruction.
She is the only surviving example. However, lots of vet's groups have put together replicas of those they recall using surplus 5-tons and deuce-and-a-half's.
Eve wasn't the only one named for a current piece of pop culture so here we go for a look at the tunes that were on the minds of those Transportation Corps guys in the late '60's and early '70's.


This song may not have been the inspiration for the rig's name if the guys had seen this video. Love the stripes.




Next up...pop country. Jimmy Dean the sausage king.



Okay, of course Canned Heat is the name of the band. They did take their name from "Canned Heat Blues" but the band was what the lads were thinking about.

Since there's no specific song... I get to pick.
At Woodstock, August, 1969.


The one in the middle, Uncle Meat.




Iron Butterfly. Yeah, there's an interesting irony to that name but it's another band name and I'm not embedding their "signature" work (Life is just too short). You can find it (assuming you've got time to kill) here.


This Coasters tune was covered by the Rolling Stones in '65 or so. No vid for it though.


Okay, now a novelty song...


Of course, both sides were represented.
Lame, I know.














































It was number one in '65 and Rolling Stone's 2nd best (Second best?) song of all time.




Now one from the man who country music is measured against (and found wanting), former Marine, George Jones.
Anyone who doesn't agree is probably a Ted Nugent fan and blind to greatness. I'll be in prayer for them... with no great hope.
From the Mercury Records years, The Possum's drunkest, craziest period and when he wrote most of his best songs.

This one was written by fellow Beaumont, Texas boy J. P."Big Bopper" Richardson.

To conclude; back in the day I had a photo of a truck bearing this name. Rolling Stone notwithstanding, this is one of the best songs of all time - and the first use of the sitar in rock and roll (1964).
To the lost gun truck named Paint It Black...

3 comments:

  1. You're on a roll Dan.
    Mmm, Bren Gun Carrier...

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  2. g00$e2:52 PM

    Interesting tracked Bren carrying thingy. Wonder what its power plant was, and how on earth did the driver/gunner raise the Bren to firing position? It appears to be mounted on hinged armor plate, and once raised the Bren's butt would be right in the gunner's throat.

    Still cool though.

    Would put the hurt to any Occupier's shins too. You build 'em, I'll sell 'em. We'll make a killing.

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