Make way for the Moppets!!

East Coast Girls who Strummed with Style!

(The Moppets in '66)

Back in 1965, four girls came together at Mount Holyoake College, MA to form a band; organised by lead member, Beverly Rodgers. These girls became The Moppets, a name coined originally as a joke by Beverly's father and went on to some limited success, touring colleges extensively on the east coast, releasing a single and featuring in a number of publications before separating at some point in the late 60's. The original line up consisted of band members Phyllis Hess (organ), Beverley Rodgers (lead guitar), Alisa Damon (bass guitar) and Kathie Ross (drums); most of the girls provided the essential vocals!The girls were in constant demand, especially at men's college's!, and toured in a 1957 Cadillac hearse!, which went under the pet name of 'Giraffe,' because, according to Ailsa "it has such a long neck." As you can see from the pictures they really loved the guy! Sometimes the girls would drive hundreds of miles from one gig to the next, and were also renowned for their choice of attire! Here's a quote from the New York Times, which wrote a feature on them:

"At first the girls performed in black turtleneck shirts and stocking and brief, hip-riding gold skirts. "Somehow, I feel they look like Providence townies than Holyoke honeys," a Brown man is alleged to have said while a chaperone on the premise gaped and gasped, "I don't believe it...I don't believe it." But for whatever the reason they have since switched to "more feminine attire," soft, black crepe dressed with sheer blacks stockings and high heels. At Cornell, the boys thought they were great. "They're groovy; everybody's having a groovy time," said John S. McLaughlin, social chairman for Psi Upsilon, who had dropped by with his date."

They earnt around $150 for each performance, playing in colleges such as Cornell, Brown, Wesleyan and Amherst, and performed numbers such as the Boston Monkey and the Philly to great appreciation from audiences! Often stunned that a band of girls could play so good!

(The Moppets with the beloved 'Giraffe')

At some point the band went through a change of lineup, with Phyllis leaving the group and two new members joining the band! These two were Pamela Brandt and another girl called Gretchen Pfeifer.

Sometime in 1967 the band went their separate ways, however the desire to perform had not left some of the members. They, including Pamela and Gretchen, formed the outfit Ariel alongside two women (Anne Bowen and Helen Hooke) and again received press attention and were a popular touring group on the east coast. By 1970, though, the band came to a conclusion and again separated. However Anne reformed and reunited with her former bandmates, Pamela and Helen, to play at a women's festival, this time under the name of The Deadly Nightshade. Due to changing attitude to females in rock, the band managed to secure one of the first deals as an all girl band to a major label, RCA, and went on to release two albums to mixed reviews,... and also managed to fit in an appearance on Sesame Street! The band finally broke up in 1977 after 5 years. Pamela has subsequently become an acclaimed feminist writer.

(Deadly Nightshade in 1974)

In 1997, The Moppets reunited, together with another New England band called The Wombats, for a one off gig at their former university, Mt Holyoke.

(Moppets at Columbia University)

And after all that! Here is the sole Moppets release I know of and own, on Spirit Records...! The A side is a cover of The Supremes "Come See About Me", while the reverse is a cover of The Beau Brummels, "Cry Just a Little". Both are groovy with a great garage edge! Also included are all the pictures below and the article from the New York Times! Hope you enjoy both this and the whack of pictures of the lovely and pinoneering ladies!

I Am A Download!

The Moppets!

Fish 'n' Chips! >--D "Would you like salt or sauce with that?"

This time Fish 'N' Chips are on this week's menu, and a mighty tasty portion it is! Hailing from the New Jersey of borough of Bergenfield, the band formed in high school, managing to record this single during the mid 60's. The band members consisted of Steve Mann on guitar, Rich Kleckner providing bass and vocals, and Don Swicker manning the drums. Also included were Pete Trugiani on guitar and Bruce (Fish) Herring providing the dancing?! and additional vocals. Donning the great name of Fish 'n' Chips to captialise on the invasion of the British they manage to open for a number of acts who are world famous today. The band itself were short lived but you can check out the great chunky slice of early bubblegum below! Also here's a pic of the likely lads themselves!

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Fish 'n' Chips around 1965
(source http://bergenfieldalumni.com/doowops/

I Am a Download!

Thank Goodness for Peanut!

For the first feature I have chosen to showcase one of my favourite Brit Girls, the wonderful Peanut! Born Katherine Farthing in The Port of Spain, Trinidad she moved she moved to the UK in 1962 at the age of 11 along with her 7 brothers and sisters. After securing a contract with Pye Records she released 4 singles under the name Peanut, comprimising Thank Goodness for the Rain/I'm Not Sad, Home of the Brave/I Wanna Hear It Again, I'm
Waiting for the Day/Someone's Gonna Be
Sorry and I Didn't Love Him Anyway/Come Tommorow during the mid 60's.

4 of these were released as an EP in Japan (shown above and right), which I wish I had! Katie then released a few singles under her real name before joining the Rag Dolls with her brother Mac around 1967/68. However her biggest success came when she and her brother joined together in the duo Mac and Katie Kissoon and had chart hits with a cover of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep (the definitive version in my opinion I think!) and also Sugar Coated Candy Kisses and Don't Do It Baby in 1975. Moving on to a career as a successful backing singer, she has worked with artists such as Elton John, George Harrison and Robbie Williams. Check out this clip of her closing with Eric Clapton with Wonderful Tonight!

Here I offer those first four singles! Hope you like them as much as I do! For me, she's great for so many reasons, one of them being the way she pronounces the word 'tear' on Thank Goodness for the Rain. However the emotive tenacity evoked by her voice resembles a certain Shangri-La, which is great of course! Also producing he best cover of a Beach Boys song....ever...dosn't go amiss! This may or may not be due to the fact with working with genius producer Mark Wirtz (great guy!) but I'll let you decide! ^___^

I Am A Download!

Gomene~Ryu-kun~...

Knowing Longlongz going to study in America~ I’ve alwez tried to prepare myself for this day will come. I wannabe strong~ I have to make sure that everything’s gonna be okay~ I wanna try my best to make him happy~ instead I HURT him even more. I’m so sorry Longlong~!! I didn’t mean it~!!!

Being broke meanz no pressie for em~ Juz a self made card at 1st~ til sabby came. I really really thank sabby for helping me making cookies for him!~ the cookies turned out to be such a big deal!

Imagine how happy and bersemangat I was being able to make something for him to eat &…….. imagine how deadly hurt I was when he told me he cant bring the food with him on the plane. He only managed to took a bite., then went off. Bcoz of that, I started to break down~...

I knew he was in peer pressure~ nervous and sad~ knowing that his time have finally come~ and he have to leave his family and everyone else. I should have understand~! N I asked him to eat the cookies?? Like he had the appetite~?! I cried & went mnyamal~ I didn’t even look at him when he was about to go~ Why did I do that?? N there was even once wen my anger strikez~ Allah~.. I never thought I would react that way.. Im now asking for forgiveness from everyone for my behavior yesterday.

Itz really nice to know that hilmi, mahirah & rhyme were there beside me to calm me down & think reasonably~.. Itz hard in a situation like that~ U tend to be emotional & unreasonable~ Itz becoz of the LOVE is it?? He’s leaving for 4 years~!! I tried so hard to smile~& be strong~.. & now im saying that the reason I cried is becoz of the cookies??? I didn’t even made it myself! All I did is to follow sabby’z instruction & do as she said~

On the very last minute~ I did manage to go to longlong pulang~..fuh! Sampat jua buat our friendship (?) handshake haha~.. When Longlong left, I gave his mum one of the cookies~& told her about it. She said it was nice n I started to burst in tears again~ yah, we hugged~ She made me feel a lot lot better.

Longlong~ It’ll be a year until the next time we meet~.. I hope itz not gonna be rilli hard~ I hope we’ll alwez be in contact~ I hope thingz will never change~.. I’ve make sure we can work out this distant relationship~.. for there will never be anyone else but him :) haha. We’ll see.

~.. Las week Youth Day~ *_*

2 Aug 2007~ A day i would never forget actually~ unpredictable tingz happened~ the picz - derz nothin' der.

BDAC~....

As a member of AiDZ Council for 5 years~ i still do not have d responsibility heheh~...

Derz something bitter~

Someting sweet~

How did it happened?

Who noez??~......

~

Im sick & tired of this feeling~ The feeling of loneliness~..somehow~.. Eversince I got into UBD? I miss my friends~.. Haha~ as if they’re not in UBD~ macam tah terjumpa~ HardyHarHar~.. Sigh~.

It has been so long~ ever since i felt so glad to be at home~ it totally brings back that Stprian feelingz~ so LIFELESS~!!! I CANT TAKE THIS~!! AND~ IM STILL IN BRUNEI???

Every time I arrived home~ I plopped onto my bed facing the ceiling~ & started to wonder~ what were the thingz I’ve been doin’ that made me really tired ani kan? The walk? The talk?~ Not just that, sometingz missing~ someonez missing~ Some of those ppl im totally in love with~ my bestfriendz~ sigh, if only they could join me in UBD oso~

Der were doz tymz~ I imagined their presence there~ haha *Kachian jua eh*~ but yah seriously~ I MISS THEM SO MUCH~!! Especially Hadee’z annoying sarcastic behaviour!!! Haha~ same goes to Ipin~his silliness~ & I miss Zai~ her sweet personality~ & Longlong~ as loving as ever~ & Zoel~ who alwez care. Sigh~ Well~.. Im so happy to know Mahirah & Suhailla are in UBD for now tho~ juz that~ L we’re taking different courses~! Pyah kan cari dorang~! & dey’re busy wit their own thing now~..

“Im on my own now~..”

Why do I have to keep thinkin’ that way? I do have some of my friends with me~ Maybe itz juz not the same~ Is it the fact I hang out with girls only?? Yah~ I got some really big problem here~ im more comfortable with guy friends~ WHY IS THAT??~ Man, bertapa seksanya di Stpri~ rasakan latup wa~!! With girls, I tend to be really malu~ I donno why~ their sensitivity?? I mean~ with Guyz~~ kan malu? TERKARANG~!! Haha~ well, certain guys saja~ :P I still keep on wondering all this years~ TOMBOY??

People said itz a funny thing to think that way~ IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME??~ Some people just jumped into a conclusion that~ maybe im a LESBIAN because of my love for Zai~ haha~ IM NOT~! I just love her so much thatz all. Haha~ everyone thinks so tho~ I don’t care~!! IM STRAIGHT, thatz one thing for sure~

I asked my guy friends what they think of me~ I can be so~girly~, I can be tomboy~, I can be really childish~ n n~ umm awkay, all that. My behavior change with different people~ “A girl with many faces”~ which is totally not good~.. Nah, I don’t tink ppl would agree with that.

Hmm~ how do I describe myself anyway~? Hehehe~ ‘perempuan yang nda tau malu’~ What the heck, ‘perempuan yang nda tau malu~ ytah orang yang paling bahagia tu~’~ I think I’ve been saying this many timez oredi~ :P *APAKAN?*

Yes~.. Im juz bored~.. *_*

Guess diz personal survey took a lot of space~ wat the heck, my blog - stil av my ryt 2 do anyting i want~
* . . About You . . *
Eye Color::	~..boreng~! *o*
Hair Color::	~..boreng oso~!! *o*
Height::	~Aduh, i donno :P 142cm 6 yearz ago lol
Favorite Color::	Anyting that blend wit BLACK
Screen Name::	~..nani?
Favorite Band::	Hahah~ I don think i have 1 :P
Favorite Movie::	Any horror movies would do :D Oh oh~ i noe.. THE SIMPSONS!!
Favorite Show::	I don watch tv much nowadayz :(
Your Car::	Mitsubishi~ wlupun buruk udah olehku~ I still love her :) ~ so much~..
Your Hometown::	Brunei~ so peaceful~
Your Present Town::	~.. still in Brunei yo~
Your Crushes First Name::	WAT??
Your Grade::	Undergraduate udah~waa~...
Your Style::	ANTAM
* . . Have You Ever . . *
Sat on your rooftop?:	~so nice up there~ :) Not wen itz hot!!
Kissed someone in the rain?:	Wow~ romantic jua~!
Danced in a public place?:	Haha~ love 2 do dat evrytym excited :P Cant help it
Smiled for no reason?:	I daydream a lot ya noe~!
Laughed so hard you cried?:	Ndakan nda kan?!
Peed your pants after age 8?:	~bowh~...
Written a song?:	~whoa.. I did?!
Sang to someone for no reason?:	~trying to annoy them? Of coz~!
Performed on a stage?:	La la la la~.. :p
Talked to someone you don't know?:	~den how do you get friendz?
Gone out of your way to befriend someone?:	hahaha~ i've been living for nearly 20 yearz~..................
Made out in a theatre?:	OMIGOSH
Gone roller skating since 8th grade?:	~.. awuah! Rinduku pulang~ all d blisterz d kaki dibuatnya *o*
Been in love?:	~..well im in luv now~ <3
* . . Who was the last person to . . *
Say HI to you?:	How am i suppose to remember?? Ubd yesterday~...
Tell you, I love you?:	~..d sweet li'l blue bunny <3>
Kiss you?:	family~.. my nini?
Hug you?:	family oso~ my aunty ysterday~
Tell you BYE?:	Was yesterday~......suhailla? Wait, wy do i av to write diz thingz anyway?
Write you a note?:	Ngalih ku eh~
Take your photo?:	Doyah bulat~!! haha~ dat one i remember~ so sakai ambil gmbar di ubd ysterday~
Call your cell phone?:	Zoel~.. :D Yay~! Kna lanja dimsum~!!
Buy you something?:	Dimsum?~
Go with you to the movies?:	SIMPSONZ~!!!! ~+Mahirah+Zoel+Ipin+Ella~...
Sing to you?:	My annoying li'l bro and sis HAHA~ love to tease me a lot~! still love them tho :D
Write a poem about you?:	Wow.....................adakah? Nda ingat aa~...
Text message you?:	Longlong <3>
Touch you?:	annoying li'l sis~ wit her annoying tone "kaka pu3 tesayang~I love u bebeh~y don u love me bebeh~?
* . . What's the last . . *
Time you laughed?:	Yesterday~ laughing at my own drawingz of Suhailla as a huge bikini elephant n her bf Zoel as a tini tiny li'l ant
Time you cried?:	I HATE YOU ZUHRI!!!!!!!!!!!!
Movie you watched?:	The Simpsonz~!! So brabez cali~!!
Joke you told?:	Im LAME~!! :P I don tell jokez~..JUz love to annoy ppl
Song you've sang?:	~"This is my now~"... Love that song!
Time you've looked at the clock?:	Juz now?
Drink you've had?:	~nescafe.. SO ADDICTED TO IT
Number you've dialed?:	Longlong~... <3
Book you've read?:	I hate bookz~ *jokin*
Food you've eaten?:	Butter prawn lasnyt~ oh heaven~!
Flavor of gum chewed?:	~... minty mentos gum :D Kimah bagi
Shoes you've worn?:	Sport shoes~ I get gauk wit it
Store you've been in?:	...somewhere in lambak msa luch ysterday~...
Thing you've said?:	"Awu~ ku bangun udah mami~!!" *o*
* . . Can You . . *
Write with both hands?:	Im only lefthanded dear~..
Whistle?:	Do i? Love to compete dat with my pet bird Manja
Blow a bubble?:	Haha~ Im sick of doin dat actually p still love to do dat evrytime i chew a gum
Roll your tounge in a circle?:	CAN U DO DAT??
Cross your eyes?:	~I juz did..
Touch your tounge to your nose?:	Are you kidding??!!
Dance?:	I suck *_*
Gleek?:	Watz dat?
Stay up a whole night without sleep?:	NEver actually~ atleast 30mins sleep ada ler msa scout dulu ngan c Mahirah di HQ
Speak a different language?:	..Japanese~.. still not fluent wit it eventho im in my 3rd year oredi~
Impersonate someone?:	wat?
Prank call people?:	Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm~heheheehehehehehe~
Make a card pyramid?:	Dat was a long time ago~!!
Cook anything?:	Garlic bread wit sunny side up egg~ slurp!
* . . Finish The Line . . *
If i were a ...:	boy~... Would thingz change?
I wish ...:	I could sort out and finish all my tasks~ N let my year go the way i wanted.....in UK........i hope..............
So many people don't know that ...:	Im actually an alien?? Yes im weird, so wat??!!
I am ...:	I am who i am, & i wan ppl to accept me the way it is
My heart is ...:	Beating?? Yeah~ im still alive~..
Take this survey Find more surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

Dat Moran Juz Wont Change~!!!!

I've been carrying d pain too long~! How could he do diz to me?! WHY? WHY? WHY?
Is it bcoz dat he was born for me to hate? Itz been yearz evasince the last tym i saw him~ & he'z still the same??? Wat the hell???????????????????????????????!!!!!

Wow~ i cant believe this kind of guy actually exist in diz world i noe~ & he's still alive?? We are no longer kidz 4 godz sake!!!! Watz wrong wit him? Wat is he?? What wuz I thinking??? "Trying to sort things way in a better way~"

So, WAT? ENEMIES FOR LIFE?! - i guess so~

~ I thought~ now dat we've grown~ we could be friends~ I WAS WRONG!! How long has it been~? Since I was 12?? DAT LONG??~ LLllloong story~ oh well~ at least his existance made my life more interesting~ yah, so non other den d one & only~..................................................

Get off my life~

*sick*