Long-term memories fine: grab a fried roll, read on

Being third or fourth on an email carbon copy is a lot like listening in on a party line without depressing the snooper button. (ROckwell 3-7364) The Trailboss has received a variety of third hand postings in the past week, much of it inspired by our trivia quiz. Below are some nostalgic bursts from a variety of writers, picked up and presented, without attribution, for your enjoyment. -- Trailboss

"Only the Lonely," Roy Orbison's 1960 classic will always remind me of the Fountain of Youth as the song that always seemed to be playing there that summer when we were on our way to or from ball playing in the "hole in the ground" behind Central. Remember in 1962 when "Peppermint Twist" and "Duke of Earl" battled for No. 1 on the Top 40 for almost the entire summer? Even KXRA played the Top 40, was it Friday or Saturday night? But mostly it was KDWB, WLS in Chicago (with Dick Biondi), and I've forgotten the call letters of the station in Little Rock. Hell, now we can't even get WCCO in Alex anymore.

It was KAAY. And Mrs. Hanson was so sweet at the Fountain of Youth. She wore white anklets.

1965 Greatest Hits
1. Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
2. Downtown - Petula Clark
3. I Can't Help Myself - Four Tops
4. Hang on Sloopy - McCoys
5. I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown
6. Wolly Bully - Sam The Sham and the Pharoes
7. I Got You Babe - Sonny and Cher
8. Stop! In The Name Of Love - Supremes
9. Shotgun - Jr Walker and the All-Stars
10. I Do - Marvelows
11. California Girls - Beach Boys
12. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - Mel Carter
13. I'll Be Doggone - Marvin Gaye
14. Ain't That Peculiar - Marvin Gaye
15. Downtown - Petula Clark
16. A Lover's Concerto - the Toys
17. How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You - Marvin Gaye
18. Nowhere To Run - Martha and the Vandellas
19. 1-2-3 - Len Barry
20. Help Me Rhonda - Beach Boys
21. Let's Hang On - Four Seasons
22. The Tracks Of My Tears - Miracles
23. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag - James Brown
24. Back In My Arms Again - Supremes
25. Yesterday - Beatles
26. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
27. Too Many Fish In The Sea - the Marvelettes
28. Catch Us If You Can - Dave Clark Five
29. This Diamond Ring - Gary Lewis and the Playboys
30. Ferry Across the Mersey - Gerry & the Pacemakers
31. It's Not Unusual - Tom Jones
32. Get Off Of My Cloud - Rolling Stones
33. Ooh Baby Baby - Miracles
34. It's The Same Old Song - Four Tops
35. Subterranean Homesick Blues - Bob Dylan
36. Land Of 1000 Dances - Cannible and the Headhunters
37. Turn, Turn, Turn - The Birds
38. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - the Animals
39. All Day and All of the Night - the Kinks
40. I'm Telling You Now - Freddy and the Dreamers

Attending religious instruction was optional. If your parents signed the papers --- you could attend a religion class at your church for I believe it was one hour (or maybe half a day -- in the morning) on Wednesdays and then return to school. I believe I did this while attending Central Jr. High. All I remember about the religion class was walking over to the Episcopal Church and meeting with the minister and other kids in a freezing cold room. I mean FREEZING cold room. (The Parlor Room?) In the winter we kept our jackets, hats, boots and mittens on throughout the session and we sat on FREEZING COLD metal folding chairs. Talk about torture. I think you could even see your breath. Remember that the Episcopal Church was poor and I think they conserved on the heat -- like maybe not heating the church on Wednesdays. (This was the OLD Episcopal Church not the new one). All I remember about those Wednesdays was being so darnn cold. Don't remember a lick about the religion being taught. The highlight of the escape from school was stopping at the bakery on the way back to school and buying a fried roll. Can you believe we were granted this time away from class from a public school? Times have changed.

I went to "Religion" on Wednesdays at Calvary. We Lutherans had heat! Ha!! Just teasing you. I loved it. We sang at least two songs every Wednesday. One memory is that our class just loved the song, "There Is A Balm in Gilead". It is a funeral song. But we all just loved it. Mrs. Pearson tried her best to keep us from singing it; but every Wednesday we'd sing that funeral song. Just 'cuz it was pretty, I guess.

Well, I thought I remembered that Catholics went on Wednesday afternoon not in the morning and then went on home after.... who knows, maybe my memory is shot. But take it from someone who has lived in the Bible Belt for 25 years--- where they speak longingly of prayer in schools and how the world has gone to hell since it has been abolished -- the way it was handled back then was appropriate and civil. I don't ever remember a prayer in school. The pledge and a song in grade school but no prayers. Release time was handled away from the school as a very separate matter and the appropriate way to handle the separation of church and state. Your parents signed or they didn't and if they didn't, my recollection is that one just went to study hall instead.

Mmmmmmmmm, "Pine Nuts" - still the best sundaes ever!! Rexall used the little tin holders with paper liners. I think THAT was the trick! They just don't taste the same for some reason. I remember the delicious fries at Woolworth's lunch counter. REAL potatoes, peeled and sliced thin, fried (I'm sure) in LARD! They'll never taste like that again.

Some random thoughts, memories:
Friday and Saturday nights spent driving around the drive way at McCarthy's (precursor to McDonald’s) and cruisin down Main Street to Big Ole and turn around and do it all over again.
The outdoor Sunset Drive-In run by the Blooms. Remember the smell of grilled hotdogs? The intermission so you could go to the concession stand? Also, a truck used to drive down the rows of cars and SPRAY for mosquitoes. Remember that you rolled the speaker up with your car window. Remember the ad warning you to not drive away with the speaker still hooked to the window?
Corn dogs and tater tots at the A&W. A&W car hops. The Orbit where the girls wore blue culottes and white shirts.
Corner Bar. (owwwww!)
Girls' showers not working at Central Jr. High so we had to take a "sponge" bath after exercising.
Skating at the Legion Park and the warming house where your wet mittens could dry hanging by the stove. And the music on the loudspeaker where you could hear the scratch in the “Skater’s Away, Glide Glide and Sway” record.
Seeger's Recreation Center. No girls allowed.

A lot of kids went to the Saturday matinee shows at the State Theater in the late Fifties and before the show they always played Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino, The Happy Organ by Dave "Baby" Cortez, and The Wayward Wind by Gogi Grant. The balconey inside the State Theater was the main place in Alexandria (probably) for making out. I've always wondered when the State Theater closed. I know it was before we graduated. Maybe by a couple of years. Also, it was a good thing no girls ever came down to Harold Seeger's basement bar and pool room because the bathrooms were terrible and had the stench of 3.2 beer and other odors. JVA