So Cal Bubblegum Hippies Relaxing Way Too Hard (videos)

Being recently unemployed is pretty relaxing, I must admit.  But I'm nowhere near as carefree as child star Jack Wild (top left) seemed to be.  Jack Wild is best known as the downtrodden yet sweethearted Oliver in Lionel Bart's musical of the same name.  But Wild definitely embraced that not-so-sweethearted Hollywood teen idol status.  He released three studio albums and, as this video evidences, enjoyed the company of women who are like 3 feet taller than him!  He actually ended up getting messed up on alcohol pretty early in life.  Regardless, great intro, great song, great plot, great accent, just great.  The Gentry's very, very bubblegum "Spread it On Thick" is top right.  Again, just great.  Not only for the quintessentially bubblegum use of double entendre and for drilling the phrase "you the man" into the ground, but also for featuring a man in a very large sombrero.  The clip, you might be able to tell, is taken from a movie - it's the 1967 teen beach party exploitation flick "It's a Bikini World".  Many infos about the film here and another awesome in-film performance by the Castaways here.

OK, so he's not from Southern California, but you can see why this Michael Holm video at bottom left is appropriate.  I don't speak German, but I think perhaps he's saying "dancing and dancing...kissing and kissing"?  Oh dear.  Perhaps you are saying to yourself, "The Mixtures, featured on the bottom right, are maybe relaxing too much, as this song sounds suspiciously like Mungo Jerry."  This is no coincidence, my friend.  "The Pushbike Song" was in a fact a followup to The Mixtures' cover of Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime".  Since Australian radio was banning British songs from the airwaves at this point in 1970, The Mixtures were able to piggyback their way twice to number one on the Australian charts.  Sadly, the creative well soon ran dry and the Mixtures' next single peaked at #43.  At any rate, two bubblegum videos in bathing suits and two on bikes - how can you beat it?

Comments

[Krys O.]

Jack Wild bumps into John Byner.

Here's the 411 for you kiddies: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Byner

[Ajax]

I love it. Jack Wild rules.

[Fatherflot]

That Jack Wild tune is AWESOME. Apples in Stereo eat your hearts out! Anyone know where to get a good copy?

[Stu]

Much respect to anyone who can ride a pennyfarthing!!!

[Hellbound Alleee]

Of course, Jack Wilde starred as the Artful Dodger, rather than Oliver himself. That honor went to Mark Lester.

[JD]

Many infos about the film here and another awesome in-film performance by the Castaways here.

Where? Those links are incomplete :(

[Greg in Tulsa]

Don't you find it a little creepy that Jack's riding a girl's Schwinn?

[jonp72]

That Castaways scene is one minute 45 seconds of awesome.

[jenjen]

Jack Wild was also Jimmy the protagonist in HR Pufnstuf, another gold mine of psychedelic freakout weirdness.

[Ivy]

Poor Jack Wild. He was a childhood favorite of mine.

[krebstar]

Brief German translation

barefoot in Rain, Happy as Ever
We're Dancing and Dancing and Dancing
barefoot in Rain, Happy as Ever
We're Dancing and Dancing and Dancing

barefoot in Rain, Wetness on the skin
We're Singing and Singing and Singing

und oder solche sheisse

[Scott Mercer]

Notice the guy in the Gentrys video, in the back, farthest to the left, singing but not playing any instrument.

That, my friends is professional wrestling manager Jimmy Hart, aka "The Mouth of the South." True dat. Curiouser and curiouser.

[Bran]

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT BEATS THAT IT'S THIS http://www.firstsounds.org/sounds/1857-Scott-Excerpts.mp3

-bran kron