1968 - Hair

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"Pop is the perfect religious vehicle. It's as if God had come down to earth and seen all the ugliness that was being created and chosen pop to be the great force for love and beauty."
Donovan

"Give me an F! Give me a U! Give me a C! Give me a K! What's that spell?"
Country Joe McDonald

The Pop Year:

• Syd Barrett leaves Pink Floyd.
• Zoot Money disbands Dantalion's Chariot.
• Eric Clapton guests with Mothers Of Invention.
• Mick Jagger appears in film 'Performance'.
• Yardbirds evolve into Led Zeppelin.
• Cream play farewell concert at The Albert Hall.
• Graham Nash leaves The Hollies.
• Hendrix makes a heroes return to his home town, Seattle.
• The Hippie musical Hair opens on Broadway.
• Premiere of Beatles film, Yellow Submarine.
• Beatles close the Apple Boutique. Constant pilfering blamed for Its demise.
• John and Yoko cause scandal, appearing nude on the cover of 'Two Virgins'.

Singles:

• The Beatles - Hello Goodbye; Magical Mystery Tour (ep); Lady Madonna; Hey Jude
• Georgie Fame - The Ballad Of Bonnie and Clyde
• The Love Affair - Everlasting Love
• Sam and Dave - Soul Man; I Thank You
• The Moody Blues - Knights In White Satin
• The Small Faces - Tin Soldier; Lazy Sunday
• Smokey Robinson and the Miracles - I Second That Emotion
• Esther and Abi Ofarim - Cinderella Rockerfeller
• John Fred and the Playboy Band - Judy in Disguise With Glasses
• Amen Corner - Bend Me Shape Me
• The Beach Boys - Darlin'; Friends; Do It Again
• Status Quo - Pictures of Matchstick Men
• The Bee Gees - Words; I've Gotta Get A Message To You
• The Move - Fire Brigade
• Don Partridge - Rosie
• Dave Dee Dozy Beaky Mick and Tich - Legend of Xanadu
• Cliff Richard - Congratulations
• Louis Armstrong - Wonderful World/Cabaret
• Otis Redding - Dock of the Bay; Hard To Handle
• Donovan - Jennifer Juniper; Hurdy Gurdy Man
• The Showstoppers - Ain't Nothin' But a House Party
• Reparata and the Delrons - Captain of Your Ship
• Tom Jones - Delilah
• Cilla Black - Step Inside Love
• Jeff Beck - Love Is Blue
• The Honeybus - I Can't Let Maggie Go
• 1910 Fruitgum Company - Simon Says
• The Supremes - Forever Come Today
• The Union Gap - Young Girl; Lady Willpower
• Bobby Goldsboro - Honey
• Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger - This Wheel's On Fire
• Dione Warwick - Do You Know the Way To San Jose?
• The Rolling Stones - Jumping Jack Flash
• Manfred Mann - My Name is Jack
• The Equals - Baby Come Back
• O. C. Smith - Son Of Hickory Holler's Tramp
• Des O'Conner - I Pretend
• Tommy James and the Shondells - Mony Mony
• Cupid's Inspiration - Yesterday Has Gone
• Ohio Express - Yummy Yummy Yummy
• Richard harris - MacArthur Park
• The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Fire
• The Nice - America
• Simon and Garfunkel - Mrs Robinson
• Herb Alpert - This Guy's In Love With You
• The Kinks - Days
• Dusty Springfield - I Close My Eyes and Count To Ten
• Fleetwood Mac - I Need Your Love So Bad; Albatross
• Sly and the Family Stone - Dance To the Music
• Mary Hopkin - Those Were the Days
• Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer
• Canned Heat - On The Road Again
• Mama Cass - Dream A Little Dream Of Me
• Mason Williams - Classical Gas
• Jose Feliciano - Light My Fire
• Tyrannosaurus Rex - One Inch Rock
• The Doors - Hello I Love You
• Joe Cocker - With a Little Help From My Friends
• Hugo Montenegro - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
• The Band - The Weight
• Cream - Sunshine of Your Love
• Barry Ryan - Eloise
• The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine
• The Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along The Watchtower
• The Who - Magic Bus
• Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - Your'e All I Need To Get By
• Johnny Johnson and the Bandwagon - Breaking Down the Walls Of Heartache
• Scaffold - Lily The Pink
• The Turtles - Elenore
• Nina Simone - Aint Got No - I Got Life
• The Foundations - Build Me Up Buttercup
• Bonzo Dog Do Dah Band - I'm The Urban Spaceman
• Jeannie C. Riley - Harper Valley PTA
• Love Sculpture - Sabre Dance
• William Bell and Judy Clay - Private Number

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Albums:

Val Doonican - Rocks, But Gently
• The Sound Of Music - Soundtrack
• The Four Tops - Reach Out
• The Monkees - Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd.; The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees
• The Supremes - Greatest hits
• The Who - The Who Sell Out
• Otis Redding - History Of Otis Redding
• Love - Forever Changes
• Bob Dylan - John Wesley Harding
• The Bee Gees - Horizontal
• Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac
• The Incredible String Band - The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter
• The Beach Boys - Wild Honey
• Scott Walker - Scott 2
• The Move - The Move
• The Byrds - The Notorious Byrd Brothers
• The Small Faces - Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
• Donovan - A Gift From A Flower To A Garden
• The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown - Crazy World
• Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger Trinity - Open
• John Mayall - Bare Wires
• Pink Floyd - Saucerful Of Secrets
• Mothers Of Invention - We're Only In It For The Money
• Tyrannosaurus Rex - My People Were Fair and Had Sky In Their Hair, But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows; Unicorn
• Simon and Garfunkel - Bookends; The Graduate
• The Beatles - White Album
• The Seekers - Best Of The Seekers
• Amen Corner - Round Amen Corner
• Louis Armstrong - Wonderful World
• Blood Sweat and Tears - Child Is Father To The Man
• Canned Heat - Boogie With Canned Heat
• Chicken Shack - Fourty Blue fingers Freshly Packed
• Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen
• The Doors - Waiting For The Sun
• Family - Music In A Dolls House
• The Idle Race - Birthday Party (?)
• Jose Feliciano - Feliciano
• Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
• The Herd - Paradise Lost
• Jethro Tull - This Was
• The Moody Blues - In Search Of The Lost Chord; Days Of Future Past
• Esther and Abi Ofarim - 2 in 3
• Pentangle - Pentangle
• The Rolling Stones - Beggar's Banquet
• Sam and Dave - Soul Man
• O. C. Smith - Hickory Holler Revisited
• The Original Cast - Hair
• Cream - Wheels Of Fire
• Traffic - Traffic
• Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
• Jefferson Airplane - Crown Of Creation

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In the news:

• Russian tanks invade Czechoslovakia after leader Alexander Dubcek tries to create a more democratic society
• North Vietnam begins the 'Tet offensive', a series of zealous attacks on Saigon. TV images of war brings home the reality of war to US and Europe. Protests begin to rise.
• Anti Communist riots in Poland
• Anti - Vietnam protest outside the American embassy in Grosvenor square, London, turns into battle with police
• Martin Luthor King assassinated in Memphis
• Students riot in West Germany
• French student protests in Paris turn into some of the worst riots of the decade, with heavy fighting throughout May. Workers call a general strike in support of the students.
• Enoch Powell makes his 'rivers of blood' speech in Birmingham
• Ronan Point high rise flats collapse in a gas explosion
• Bobby Kennedy assassinated in Los Angeles
• Dr Spock jailed for advocating draft dodging
• Race riots in Watts district of L.A.
• The musical 'Hair' causes a fuss in london as the cast appear naked on stage
• The 'Black Power' salute given by black athletes at the Mexico olympics
• Richard Nixon becomes president of the USA
• Student sit - in at Bristol university

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T.V:

• The Basil Brush Show
• Dad's Army
• Father Dear Father
• Joe 90
• Magpie
• Marty
• Please Sir
• The World of Beachcomber
• The Stanley Baxter Show
• The Expert
• Whicker's World

Top Ten

1. A Special Royal Performance
2. Miss World 1968
3. Eurovision
4. The Grand National
5. Howerd's hour
6. International Football
7. The Boat race
8. Life With Cooper
9. Coronation Street
10. Frost on Sunday

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Films:

• If
• How I Won The War
• Charlie Bubbles
• Oliver
• The Charge Of The Light Brigade
• Planet Of The Apes
• Rosemary's Baby
• The Thomas Crown Affair
• The Swimmer
• Candy
• Head

Books:

• The Crying Game - John Braine
• The Electric Kool - Aid Acid Test - Tom Woolf
• The Teachings Of Don Juan - Carlos Castenada

Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick