We’ve been on vacation but are back in the saddle with another review of this week in Keenerland.

Here’s a look at Campus Martius in Detroit on Friday night, courtesy of Felicia Fullwood Photography. We highly recommend that you visit her website to check out her artistry. Growing up during the Keener era always meant visits to Motor City landmarks during the holidays. We remember the annual Christmas Fantasy at the Ford Rotunda, the holiday decorations on the 12th floor of Hudson’s (and that huge Christmas Tree covering the entire front of the building) and traditions that live on to this day including Wild Lights at the Detroit Zoo and the required trip north to Bronner’s in Frankenmuth. Our holiday television viewing season began with the America’s Thanksgiving Parade, which debuted in 1924 thanks to the JL Hudson Company. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, narrated by Boris Karloff, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with Burl Ives, and holiday movie musts like Miracle on 34th Street and White Christmas followed. We love how these “evergreen” productions can still be seen today.

There is lots of talk about the release of The Beatles’ White Album Box Set. We’ve got one and it lives up to the hype, with over 5 hours of originals, alternate takes, and tunes that didn’t make the cut. Giles Martin did his father, George, proud, digging up the original source material and remixing the tracks to give us the same pristine listening experience we enjoyed with his Sgt. Pepper project. Who would have thought that Back in the USSR would be in the Billboard top ten again 5 decades later? Read Jordan Orlando’s review in this week’s New Yorker Magazine.

Happy Birthday to Berkeley native, Marshall Crenshaw. He turned 65 on November 11th. Before fronting the popular Marshall Crenshaw Band, he got his first big break in 1976, winning the role of John Lennon, performing in “Beatlemania” on both coasts that year.

Last week marked the 43rd anniversary of the sinking of the Great Lakes ore carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald. The boat went down with all hands just north of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior in 1975. Gordon Lightfoot immortalized the event in song in 1976 (Video).

In 1964, Sam Cooke entered the RCA Victor’s Music Center of the World studios in New York, to record “Shake” and “It’s Got The Whole World Shakin’.” It would be his last session. Cooke was shot to death 3½ weeks later.

This week in 1968, Simon & Garfunkel  began a marathon 100 hour recording session to produce “The Boxer.” With Fred Carter, Jr. on guitar and Hal Blaine on drums, The recording was taped at multiple locations, including Nashville, in New York City at St. Paul’s Chapel and the Columbia studios.

Another defining event of our generation happened on November 17, 1968 when NBC cut away from the final minutes of a New York Jets-Oakland Raiders game to begin the TV special, “Heidi,” on schedule. Fans who had been watching the game missed the the two touchdowns the Raiders scored in nine seconds, to beat the New York Jets, 43-32. NBC switchboards were jammed with complaints. From then on a policy of waiting to begin post-game programming until the game being broadcast was over, became the rule.

November 21 will be “Bob Seger Day” in Grand Rapids. Mayor Rosalynn Bliss bestowed the honor on Michigan’s favorite Rock and Roll Son in parallel with his upcoming concerts at the Van Andel Arena

Keener number ones this week include:
(1963) Louie Louie, Kingsmen – Keener’s first Hit Number 1
(1964) Mountain of Love, Johnny Rivers
(1965) Turn Turn Turn, Byrds
(1966) Winchester Cathedral, New Vaudeville Band
(1967) The Rain The Park & Other Things, Cowsills
(1968) Abraham Martin and John, Dion
(1969) Na Na Hey Hey, Steam
(1970) Tears of a Clown, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles
(1971) Family Affair, Sly & The Family Stone

Our deep dive into the WKNR Music Guide comes from the week ending November 17, 1965. Many classic hits were on their way up the charts including James Brown‘s “I Got You (I Feel Good)” (Video), Simon and Gar’s “Sounds of Silence” (Video) and “Ebb Tide” from the Righteous Brothers (Video). The Vogues “Five O’Clock World” (Video) was the Key Song of the Week. And who was Fernanda Waltmiller? Back in the day, she was the symbol of the Revlon company and the subject of a nationwide advertising campaign that inspired DJ’s in every major market to say, “We love you, Fernanda Waltmiller”. Scott Regen and Paul Cannon followed suit in the Revlon Natural Wonder ad on the back of the guide.

We leave you with this 1962 television broadcast of the Hudson’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Enjoy the holiday and keep it Keener!