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The Swingin' Six - Folk-Pop Band from the 1960s - Four Men, Two Women, and a Sound Like "The Mamas & The Papas"


DonRocks

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Awhile back, I wrote a humorous post about a Zip Code commercial that I remembered from my early childhood, performed by a group called "The Swingin' Six." I thought (when I was old enough to think about such things) that it was simply a group put together for this commercial, and maybe it was (sort of like "The Monkees"), but The Swingin' Six was actually a real band - with a 1967 album called "For the First Time" (having an album in those days was something akin to having a book published - it established credibility).

Anyway, The Swingin' Six actually existed outside of that one commercial (which is well-worth fifteen minutes of your time to watch - it's a great slice of early 1960s pop-Americana, and I hate to say it, but the tune is catchy as all-get-out).

One day, I dream of clicking on an obscure tag (like "Pat Lanigan," for example), and having it appear in multiple threads. Who knows? If we have enough threads such as this, one day we may learn some obscure trivia about people, places, or things, just by linking the tags together. (Not that he's obscure, but click on any Alfred Hitchcock tag as an example.)

As for The Swingin' Six, they're very similar to The Mamas & The Papas on "Pack Your Bag" (the lead song on the album, "For the First Time," which could have probably also been titled, "For the Last Time," since I'm pretty sure it was their only album). I can picture Cass Elliot (née Ellen Naomi Cohen, and born in Baltimore) in her vinyl, knee-high boots when I hear this song.

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I can honestly say that when I founded this community on Apr 15, 2005, I never thought I'd be starting a thread about The Swingin' Six.

Yes, bearded hipsters with your Chuck Taylors and $10 glasses of IPA, fifty years from now, people will be looking back at you with this exact same type of reminiscent fondness. When you're 80-years-old, and your grandchildren are seeing pictures and videos of you in utter disbelief and absolute horror ("Grandpa, why is everybody white?"), you're going to be cringing. I'd say, "It's not too late," but it is too late. :P

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On 8/28/2016 at 12:37 PM, sheldman said:

Whatever level of distaste you feel for hotel restaurants with absentee "celebrity" chefs, multiply that by 1000x and you will have a glimpse of how I feel about this sort of thing as "music." :) 

It's not music; it's Americana. "American Pop-Music History," if you can stomach such a term. It's the kind of thing that "talking about" is more fun than actually *liking*.

That said, I honestly liked the zip-code jingle - it was an ear worm for me and wouldn't go away.

*You* always get your way
at Ourisman Chev-ro-let!!

I had an undying crush on Susan Gailey when I was 10.

I spent long hours trying to think of how to make her eschew our societal morés and fall madly in love with a 10-year-old boy - I was convinced she needed me in her life.

Speaking of which, have you seen "Dear Brigitte?" (That's Ed Wynn in the captain's hat.)

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Yeah, just watched the zip code video, great stuff. Not feeling the Mamas and the Papas, though. To me, it's more like what would happen if the Kingston Trio ran into a couple of gals from the Pixies Three ("442 Glenwood Avenue") or the Dixiebelles ("Southtown, USA").

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13 hours ago, Bob Wells said:

Yeah, just watched the zip code video, great stuff. Not feeling the Mamas and the Papas, though. To me, it's more like what would happen if the Kingston Trio ran into a couple of gals from the Pixies Three ("442 Glenwood Avenue") or the Dixiebelles ("Southtown, USA").

Listen to "Pack Your Bag" up top - there's hints of the Mamas and the Papas there (just hints).

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