vintage

Vintage music and beat content throughout history and the music archives.

You Must be Crazy
You Must be “Crazy!” by L’Tanya Y. Gordon It was a typical Friday night and as I hurried to sit out on the front porch, I always enjoyed seeing all of the familiar people, like yellow, brown and black puzzle pieces, starting to fit into their pre-assigned places on the jigsaw of another start of the weekend evening in Kansas City Missouri.
By L'Tanya Gordon5 years ago in Beat
a song to remember
As a white girl that grew up in a middle-class family, I was so far removed from understanding what it meant to be anything but that. I had always understood the sexism in life, the fact that I would be the one that stepped out of a man’s way or that a man wanting to touch the small of my back or arm was just a formality. I had known it, I had seen it, I had known that women’s rights were still very new to this nation, and I was lucky enough to get to go to school. I was lucky enough to even have a chance that even fifty years ago, women didn’t have. I knew all of this and more at a young age as I cried to my dad when I heard about Malala being shot by the Taliban for going to school, “daddy why can’t other girls go to school?”. I was seven. It was then I was exposed to racism. An idea that I couldn’t even fathom.
By Jazzy 5 years ago in Beat
Minnie Riperton - A Love Story
She said, “I just don’t want to leave my kids. I don’t want to leave my babies” In January 1976, Minnie Riperton went to the doctor, worried there was a problem. The doctor diagnosed her with breast cancer and shortly afterward she underwent a radical mastectomy. At the time of diagnosis, the doctors gave her about six months to live. Her cancer had metastasized. It was in her lymph nodes.
By Gary McBrine5 years ago in Beat
Black Melodies
I didn’t much care for what my friends were listening to growing up, meaning I was rarely passed aux. A truth which, I believe, was more their loss than my own... I’ve always gravitated to the oldies—and if genre titles such as shoegaze and folktronica can exist, I say Oldies deserves a legitimate name in the books.
By Hayley Brown5 years ago in Beat
Ella goes to my head
When I was in high school, Jewel was asking "Who will save your soul" and Tracy Chapman was looking for you to "Give me one reason" so she could turn right back around. At the time, I didn't know that. Just like I didn't know Toni Braxton needed you to "Un-break my heart" or that Atlantis was out there being "Ironic". Why wasn't I aware of any of this?
By Alice Garitt5 years ago in Beat
It Should Have Been Me
There have been countless inspirational Black women in the music industry. So why, you ask, did I choose to write about Flora Yvonne Fair Strain, better known as "Yvonne Fair"?
By Ricky Chopra5 years ago in Beat
Secrets of Woodstock
I was seven when we moved to Woodstock. My parents were young Brooklyn beatniks who quickly became hippies. Our little white house was party central.
By Dakota Lane5 years ago in Beat
I remember: Music Delivery Technology
Radio I remember the early Tube Radios which were rather large pieces of furniture. Over time, with the invention of the transistor it reduced them to a smaller footprint and even table top devices. And later hand held battery operated music dispensers, and we became Disc Jockeys for the moment.
By Roger Skibowski5 years ago in Beat
The Oldies Now
Let me take you back to when I was a small child, a toddler in the 1980’s. My mother plays Poison, Annie Lennox, all the 1980’s Rock bands.
By Audie Edwards5 years ago in Beat
School days
The late 60's were a great time for teenage me as you'll see in this segment from my biography "Do or do not!" I turned 13 in June 1967, and finally was able to do something I’d wanted for a while, joining the Air Training Corps, a kind of air force cadets. My father was a rear gunner on a Lancaster during World War 2 and my Uncle was in the RAF at ST. Mawgan as I’d mentioned so it was pretty much in the blood. I wore my uniform with pride and quickly became a marksman with the .303 rifle, actually winning my father a packet of cigarettes by cutting a single one in half down the range. The kick from the old style 303 rifle was pretty sharp and I injured my shoulder at the very beginning but soon got to grips with it. I stayed with the ATC (30F) squadron until I joined the RAF in January of 1970, and it was a really beneficial experience that taught me a wide range of skills.
By Len Davies5 years ago in Beat
A 90s’ Baby With 50s’ Faves
I was born in 1995, and I have a wide variety of favorite music. From the 20s to the 2000s. The music of the 50s makes me feel alive differently like I am going back in time in an era I’ve never been. Then again, who doesn’t like the classic older music? Especially jazz and rock and roll playing in the background of a movie, bars and some casinos.
By Ruby Estelle 5 years ago in Beat
Girl, Put Your Records On
The origin of my favorite music is rooted in a garage sale. There I was in the middle of summer, not going to waterparks or hanging by a poolside, but rather organizing my mom's garage sale. After the divorce, we had to save up whatever money we could to prepare for the big move to Florida. My mom focused on packing all the junk in the basement while I took the role of selling all our items (she was a horrible saleswoman). While negotiating back and forth like a crazy car sales worker, I was able to sell a lot of our unnecessary belongings. Towards the end of the sale, we were desperate. My mom was telling me to sell just about anything not vital, even if it had sentimental value. I watched strangers carry away items I had known my whole life to be part of my home. Finally, my mom brings out a big box of vinyls. Although we did not have a record player, my mother seemed to have collected a decent range of "old fashion" music. I saw her grief as she insisted I sell them. As she continued her work inside, I decided to spare the vinyls. As if I was the Grinch on Christmas Eve, I secretly stuffed the vinyls in my boyfriend's house for safekeeping.
By Angelica Pasquali5 years ago in Beat