OK.... My mom (RIP) was extremely beautiful & young when I had to go to a PTA meeting with my mom.... It was 1969, I was 7 & my mom wore her Go-Go boots with matching suede leather mini skit outfit & hat (she made the vest, skirt & cap).. She sang Harper Valley PTA all the way to my elementary. I guess by the time the PTA sent a note home about me, she'd had enough. We were from Texas & we had moved to Michigan just 2 years earlier. Due to my oldest brother having a proper Texas Southern Drawl.... The PTA told my mother he had a speech impediment, most likely a deafness, & should hold him back in school. I was horribly shy with a super high IQ, so I was a wall flower & got in trouble for "refusing to participate". So, to the PTA meeting we went. The school was only 3 blocks away & she sang that song at the top of her lungs all the way.... Mom took no shit. I still smile at this memory
Good for your mom!!! What a bunch a crap they were pulling!!! I have this movie on DVD! Always loved the song & the movie! It is crappy the way they treat single moms...even to this day!!! Here in Michigan we seem to have a lot of holier than thou Moms in the PTA's!!! Their husbands are out cheating on them and they cant figure out why! lol. I could tell them but dont think they'd like the truth! lol
I was sent home from school the day before my high school graduation because my skirt was too short This was in 1976 when we wore short skirts, but I went to a tiny country school. My mother was livid and called the principal up and gave him a piece of her mind. I went back to class in the worst looking jeans and shirt I could find, lol
The PTA is just another type of HOA. A place where the participants risk having the power go to their heads, and attempt to tell others how to live. This song was also made into a made for tv movie.
@charlesabbott5563 She is a singer narrating a story, making her a narrator too. But good for you, taking time to incorrectly correct a 2-year-old comment.😂😂
You can watch it the full movie on youtube. It's pretty neat that they built a film around a song. Barbara Eden is fabulous in the TV movie. such a fun watch. Don't think the series made it very far.
Back in the day, ice would often be delivered to people’s homes. The “increase” in her ice consumption hints that, Mrs. Taylor had much more frequent visits from the delivery man.
nahh.. gotta disagree. the song was not based in the 20s-40s. it was clearly referencing the sexual revolution and the pro choice movement & the rise of feminism in the late 60s/70s. no woman back in the days of 'ice boxes' would have EVER worn a miniskirt or acted so brash & strong. that was a very different time. women were subservient to their men, children & home. Mrs Taylor is getting the extra ice cuz she goes on drinking binges when hubbys away.
One point you missed that makes this song all the more beautiful... the PTA was complaining about the _mother's_ skirt being too high, not the daughter's. So... they sent a frickin' note home with a middle schooler complaining about what a crappy parent the mom was. Her response was awesome. There's a movie (as there is with a few of Jeannie C Riley's songs) from 1978 starring the wonderful Barbara Eden (Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie") if you're interested. And a TV series from the early 80's, in which Barbara Eden reprised her role. I don't remember ever seeing the TV series, but the movie was fun.
This song by Jeannie C.Riley and "Ode To Billy Joe" by Bobby Gentry were the class of female country singers at the time,and swung that genre in a different direction.
Yeah, you can throw Nancy Sinatra in there, too. If you'll notice, their biggest hit songs all had funky little R&B-influenced grooves that helped them cross over to US#1, as well. They used Country Music as a point of reference, but weren't purists about their arrangements, peppering them with strings, horns, or funk licks. They would all go on to have songs that were far more Country and not very Country at all, but the trifecta of "Harper Valley", "Billie Joe" and "Boots" is almost its own microgenre.
@@robhaunui3343 "Sugar Town" is a great song, but it doesn't illustrate the point I was making about #1 hits and how they crossed-over. "Sugar Town" (US#5) is far closer to pure Country & Western than "Boots", which incorporated funky drums and brass for crossover appeal. Not all of her stuff was Country at all, with "These Boots Are Made for Walking" barely qualifying, except for the imagery of its lyrics, its outsize guitar twang, and Rockabilly-styled upright bass. To mainstream Rock, Pop, and R&B audiences in 1966, "Boots" played as Country, but despite several Country Pop hits, she didn't place on the Country charts until the 1980s. Meanwhile Bobbie Gentry and Jeannie C. Riley failed to follow-up their crossover hits with much in the way of Pop success. Gentry had a couple of hit duets with Glenn Campbell and Riley had a handful of Top10s on the Country charts over the next few years. But those three songs represented a peak for Country Pop crossovers with a strong feminine perspective, pairing the lyricism of Loretta Lynne and the storytelling of Flannery O'Connor with the crossover power of Motown or Stax Records - something Country Music had struggled with throughout the 1960s.
The reference to "Peyton Place" is connected to the book/movie/TV show about a small town that has more than its share of scandals among the people living there.
This was fun y’all. It sounds like something my Mom would do. She was a little lady but she didn’t let nobody push her...or us kids around. RIP Mom. I miss you.
For a little context of the times back then...... There was a reference to a secretary who had to leave town is a reference to the guy getting his secretary pregnant. Single motherhood/unwed mothers were basically shamed and often left town to avert the scandal. There were terms and phrases about "a girl in trouble" or, "they HAD to get married" or "make an honest woman out of her" that were all related to pregnancies out of wedlock. So, if the guy didn't marry the woman (making her an honest woman), she often left town in disgrace. Different times. 😲😟
Yeah but in this case the secretary left town to not only hide the fact she was pregnant by her boss but HE was a married man and on the school board...
I had my son in 1974 and I wasn't going to be shamed and proudly had my beautiful baby boy. My Dad was a pastor and him and my Mom stood by me in my decision. Our church never made me feel ashamed . My son is now a grandfather to a very beautiful baby boy and I'm so proud of the man I raised him to be .
@@elizaolsen9532 Our daughter had our first grandbaby at 17. The 16 and pregnant jokes she endured had me almost thrown in jail a few times. He is now 8 years old with an IQ off the charts. Reading at an 8 grade level. My daughter is gorgeous and has been married for 5 years now to a wonderful man. All those gossipers back then try to talk to our Stagger Lee and I always respond with the death glare that has them turning around. Not once did we as parents get upset with her. We were doing the same damn thing at her age. She just happened to get pregnant her very first time. After that she saved herself for marriage. God needed Stagger Lee born at that time and he chose my daughter to be blessed with him. We are all here for a reason. I’m thankful you had great parents as well. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I have this on vinyl the flip side is "The Girl Most Likely" about people who think a poor girl is the most likely to get pregnant out side of marriage, but its actually the daughter of the richest man in town
I was a teacher and the crap I heard in some of these meetings was horrible. that's why I quit going. Unprofessional behavior, then you wonder what is being said about you when you are not there. Disgusting.
This song was written by the great Tom T. Hall, country legend who passed away a year ago.. Great story-teller, if you check out some of his other songs. It was a huge crossover country-pop hit in 1968.
Great reaction Asia and BJ. Nope didn't have time for no PTA 😂. This song is a comical way at raising awareness to people who judge through their own hypocritical eyes, and those who have the courage to stand up to them. 💪
This is still one of the best songs to me!!! I like the comments by Asia and BJ, most have not tried to hear old time country music because they are one genre shows…..this is a beautiful classy show, I hope to see more from it, Asia and BJ not only are classy but look classy together in this show…..keep on keeping it real you two, peace out you just got a real fan today!!!
I just discovered the other day that there is A Return to Harper Valley PTA. It's like part two. I was floored. I love this song but part two was a shock. I enjoyed it. Great reaction you two.
After Jeannie got saved, she come out with the " Return To Harper Valley " You need to listen to it, it's more up to date with what goes on with our children!
Jeannie C. Riley is best known for her 1968 country & pop hit "Harper Valley PTA". But she had some other songs such as "The Girl Most Likely", "There Never Was A Time," "The Rib," "The Back Side of Dallas," "Country Girl," "Oh Singer," & "Good Enough To Be Your Wife". Later she became a born-again Christian and began recording gospel music during the late 1970's.
*One of the most memorable movies of my childhood.. Harper Valley PTA stands out in the top 10. have watched that movie tons of times.. legends Barbara Eden & Nanette Fabray. still cracks me up all these years later. and the song? brilliant... hell it spawned a hit movie & a TV show. 70s good times*
Just a small clarification. She says "Well there's Bobby Taylor sittin there and 7 times he's asked me for a date. And Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lot of ice when he's away" . That part is referring to Mrs. Taylor drinking a lot when her husband is out of town, because he's cheating on her, like he tried to do with Mrs. Johnson. I was 14 when this song came out, and I can't speak for other places, but this was a scandalous song in the rural country area I grew up in. It was a completely different time, a completely different life style.
Actually it’s a reference to her cheating on her husband with the ice man. Before modern refrigeration it was common to have big blocks of ice delivered weekly. You would place the block in the ice compartment and it would keep the rest of the fridge cool. The blocks were pretty large, a single block would usually last 5-7 days. However it seems she used a lot of ice, so much so she needed the ice man to deliver a new block every day when her husband was gone.
@@kylemma33 Refrigeration is surprisingly recent, and it took a long time before everyone could afford it. When my Dad first came to North America after WWII, his first job was delivering ice to houses for people's ice boxes. When he asked for the route, they told him, "Don't worry about it. The horse knows it."
@@kylemma33 Were there still icemen delivering ice in the mid to late sixties? I know we had a refrigerator with a freezer when I was a kid and we weren't wealthy enough to have the most new-fangled stuff I've always thought it meant she was buying a lot of bags of ice cubes because she was entertaining a lot of guests when he was away.
Tom T. Hall wrote the song, and Yes, it was about a real life experience. It was Jeannie C. Riley's breakout hit in 1968. It was a HUGE blockbuster hit for her.
"Sock it to me" was the jargon fad slang people were using then and everyone wore Sock it to me t-shirts. "The day my mama socked it to the HarperValleyPTA."
Asia & BJ, this is an old song that I grew up on. Oh Lord! Watching Asia’s face and then BJ looking at Asia like she’s crazy was priceless! I love watching people react to this video! Love love love it!
When Jeannie C. Riley became a Christian, she released a sequel called Return to Harper Valley. At that point she was a devout Christian so the song came from her Christian perspective. I really enjoyed it and this time, her daughters own child is in Harper Valley High School. It catches up with all the people from the Harper Valley PTA
Great reaction!!! Great song. Some of the lines in Jeannie C. Riley's only major Pop-crossover "Harper Valley PTA" (1968/US#1, UK#12) haven't aged very well, though. The point of the song still translates beautifully, but some of the phrases and pop culture references are lost on younger folks. Hell, I'm middle-aged, but this song came out almost a decade before I was born. I didn't really know it till the '00s, myself. I heard it a few times as a kid, but I never paid attention to the lyrics. * "Mrs. Taylor seems to use a lot of ice, whenever he's away" ...means that Mrs. Taylor is as adulterous as her husband, Bobby. "Uses a lot of ice" was a euphemism for cheating on one's husband while he's working. It was a dated phrase already at the time, since refrigeration and home freezers had become common by 1968, but it's a reference to the fact that delivery men were often left alone "unsupervised" with housewives (fueling other Pop culture phrases as "the milkman's son" and "the postman always rings twice" which was also the name of a popular film). * "Mr. Baker, can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town?" ...*STRONGLY* implies that he got her pregnant and she was forced to move in shame rather than to have the baby out of wedlock or seek a legal abortion. (Abortion wouldn't be a legal option until 1972 and this was in 1968). In "polite society" having a child out of wedlock was still seen as some sort of crime back then, even though it was still quite common. Wealthy and middle-class women and girls were often shipped away or married off to a friend of the family, quickly. Poor women and girls were often disowned and left to fend for themselves. It was just sexist, classist nonsense, but it's how things were. * "This is just a little Peyton Place and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites" ...references the then-popular soap opera, Peyton Place (1964-69). This was essentially calling out her local PTA for being gossipy, backstabbing, and melodramatic. * "The day my momma socked it to the Harper Valley PTA" ...uses a variation on the then-trendy AAVE phrase "sock it to me" which translates to "tell it to me straight". It was a phrase popular in the late 60s, mostly made mainstream from its use on the TV comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, but with a longer legacy thanks to its use in popular music - most notably with Aretha Franklin "Respect", Friends of Distinction "Grazin' in the Grass", The Isley Brothers "It's Your Thing", and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels "Devil with a Blue Dress On". Missy Elliot had a hit with "Sock It to Me" in 1997, but the phrase's original meaning was long-obscured by the 1990s. Anyway, this is a fabulous track and a super-fun reaction, but for anyone under retirement age, a lot of the best lines aren't easily understood. I hope this helps y'all a little if you were feeling kinda lost. :)
All true. In fact, there was a time here in Britain when having a baby out of wedlock was grounds to institutionalise the mother. Many spent the rest of their lives in an asylum.
Glad to have found your channel. Jeannie C. Riley: Harper Valley PTA. 1968. I heard the 5th Dimension video Stone Soul Picnic from 1968 as well. My favorite from them is AQUARIUS/ LET THE SUNSHINE IN 1969. These songs were my first introduction into music. I was about 4 in 1968 and 5 in '69. So my decade is the '70's and '80's. Love Seals and Crofts. Sumner Breeze 1972, and you'll love Diamond Girl 1973 also. Jim Seals sadly just passed away. Keep up the good work! Love the videos!
I was part of the PTA in the 90's. The gossip is real! Nosiest bunch I have EVER seen! I told them I wouldn't be a part of that. And when they took things seriously give me a call.
I love watching your reactions to these songs. Just found you all tonight. So I've spent my evening watching a lot of your reactions. You've gotten a new follower. Love y'all!! This one cracked me up because I could see my mom doing something like this. Knowing her she probably did. lol
Looked like a 60s Beehive hair style to me. The beehive is a hairstyle in which long hair is piled up in a conical shape on the top of the head and slightly backwards pointing, giving some resemblance to the shape of a traditional beehive. It is also known as the B-52 due to a resemblance to the distinctive nose of the Boeing B-52 Strategic Bomber. Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 - 23 July 2011) a British singer and songwriter, had one.
This was the title track to a movie in the early 70s. My next door neighbor (Rita Rose or Rosenbaum) used to tour with her back then as another singing act.
1968, perhaps the greatest year in pop music, offsetting the chaos of that year. MLK, RFK, the height of the Vietnam war. Harper Valley PTA went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 9/21/68. It sold six million copies that year. Two weeks later Hey Jude took the top spot.
BTW, "Peyton Place" was a book that came out in the early 60's or late 50's that had a lot of things like what's in the song. So that line about Harper Valley being a little "Peyton Place" would have hit extra hard when the song came out. BTW, the song was written by Tom T. Hall, who had a good career himself as a singer.
She put all of them on blast!! Shes like you say my skirt is too short, I should be raising my daughter this way, well let me tell you something… I loved it.! I remember the show, loved it too.
Jeannie C Riley was my first concert. I was 4 or 5 my parents and Aunt and Uncle took me my siblings and cousins. She was a newer artist..I think...because the concert was in a high school gym in Wichita Kansas.
Yeah, this is one of those sing along with songs from back then. May not have understood the lyrics but when it came on the radio it was sing along time.
Lovin' you two up here in Canada. Great to see your reactions to the music we grew up with and loved. Don't forget Chuck Berry's "Johnny b goode" live in Belgium.
Remember growing up to this classic, my late mom would play the old 45 on the stereo, wow, the old 45's. Vinyl albums, 8- tracks, players, and cassettes. Now we listen to CD's!!! Boy have times changed, LOL.
Wow. I can't believe I'm actually subscribed to a channel that reacted to one of my family members. Great reaction you two. 😄 I know she had certain well-known hits but being an oddball I always loved the one you didn't hear much about like, "Shed Me No Tears". My grandmother had a cassette tape of her songs that she passed down to me and I instantly fell in love with that particular one. You could truly feel the emotion she put into it
OK.... My mom (RIP) was extremely beautiful & young when I had to go to a PTA meeting with my mom.... It was 1969, I was 7 & my mom wore her Go-Go boots with matching suede leather mini skit outfit & hat (she made the vest, skirt & cap).. She sang Harper Valley PTA all the way to my elementary. I guess by the time the PTA sent a note home about me, she'd had enough. We were from Texas & we had moved to Michigan just 2 years earlier. Due to my oldest brother having a proper Texas Southern Drawl.... The PTA told my mother he had a speech impediment, most likely a deafness, & should hold him back in school. I was horribly shy with a super high IQ, so I was a wall flower & got in trouble for "refusing to participate". So, to the PTA meeting we went. The school was only 3 blocks away & she sang that song at the top of her lungs all the way.... Mom took no shit. I still smile at this memory
What a great memory!
Good for your mom!!! What a bunch a crap they were pulling!!! I have this movie on DVD! Always loved the song & the movie! It is crappy the way they treat single moms...even to this day!!! Here in Michigan we seem to have a lot of holier than thou Moms in the PTA's!!! Their husbands are out cheating on them and they cant figure out why! lol. I could tell them but dont think they'd like the truth! lol
Your mom SLAAAAAYYYYEEEDDDD!!! I am sure was as equally beautiful as she was surely stylish!
Kudos to your mom
I was sent home from school the day before my high school graduation because my skirt was too short This was in 1976 when we wore short skirts, but I went to a tiny country school. My mother was livid and called the principal up and gave him a piece of her mind. I went back to class in the worst looking jeans and shirt I could find, lol
The PTA is just another type of HOA. A place where the participants risk having the power go to their heads, and attempt to tell others how to live.
This song was also made into a made for tv movie.
I love the fact that the narrator is the daughter who is proud of her mother.
She's a singer, not a narrator.
@charlesabbott5563 She is a singer narrating a story, making her a narrator too. But good for you, taking time to incorrectly correct a 2-year-old comment.😂😂
six year old me idolized Loretta Lynn, Tanya tucker and Jeanie C. Riley. These are my songs, babies
Props to the guy playing the guitar in the beginning of the video.....
This was actually made into a movie and TV series starring Barbara Eden of “I Dream Of Jeannie”fame.
Yes loved that show
I think Tom T Hall wrote this song Jeannie told me.
was a fun movie
You can watch it the full movie on youtube. It's pretty neat that they built a film around a song. Barbara Eden is fabulous in the TV movie. such a fun watch. Don't think the series made it very far.
@@zoeystar4668 sadly no
Back in the day, ice would often be delivered to people’s homes. The “increase” in her ice consumption hints that, Mrs. Taylor had much more frequent visits from the delivery man.
nahh.. gotta disagree. the song was not based in the 20s-40s. it was clearly referencing the sexual revolution and the pro choice movement & the rise of feminism in the late 60s/70s. no woman back in the days of 'ice boxes' would have EVER worn a miniskirt or acted so brash & strong. that was a very different time. women were subservient to their men, children & home. Mrs Taylor is getting the extra ice cuz she goes on drinking binges when hubbys away.
@@FranklySpeaking. I always felt it meant drinking also.
I always thought it meant she was making a lot of drinks.
Or she's SERVING a lot of drinks while her husband's away.
@@erichunting8175 ooohhh. Scandalous
One point you missed that makes this song all the more beautiful... the PTA was complaining about the _mother's_ skirt being too high, not the daughter's. So... they sent a frickin' note home with a middle schooler complaining about what a crappy parent the mom was. Her response was awesome. There's a movie (as there is with a few of Jeannie C Riley's songs) from 1978 starring the wonderful Barbara Eden (Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie") if you're interested. And a TV series from the early 80's, in which Barbara Eden reprised her role. I don't remember ever seeing the TV series, but the movie was fun.
Jeannie C. Riley....battling Karens and Chads even way back when before it became a social mainstay! wooo hooo....you tell em Jeannie
@@Dooklawz just goes to show that all throughout history nothing has changed, folks are still judgmental as hell
The tv show wasn't too bad. I don't think it was on for very long though.
The movie was funny
Beautiful lady and very talented singer. I absolutely love this song.
This song by Jeannie C.Riley and "Ode To Billy Joe" by Bobby Gentry were the class of female country singers at the time,and swung that genre in a different direction.
Yeah, you can throw Nancy Sinatra in there, too. If you'll notice, their biggest hit songs all had funky little R&B-influenced grooves that helped them cross over to US#1, as well. They used Country Music as a point of reference, but weren't purists about their arrangements, peppering them with strings, horns, or funk licks. They would all go on to have songs that were far more Country and not very Country at all, but the trifecta of "Harper Valley", "Billie Joe" and "Boots" is almost its own microgenre.
They all had the hair too. Lol
@@MRoyClark interesting point,but I would've opted more for "Sugar Town" than "Boots" but fair point
@@robhaunui3343 "Sugar Town" is a great song, but it doesn't illustrate the point I was making about #1 hits and how they crossed-over. "Sugar Town" (US#5) is far closer to pure Country & Western than "Boots", which incorporated funky drums and brass for crossover appeal. Not all of her stuff was Country at all, with "These Boots Are Made for Walking" barely qualifying, except for the imagery of its lyrics, its outsize guitar twang, and Rockabilly-styled upright bass.
To mainstream Rock, Pop, and R&B audiences in 1966, "Boots" played as Country, but despite several Country Pop hits, she didn't place on the Country charts until the 1980s. Meanwhile Bobbie Gentry and Jeannie C. Riley failed to follow-up their crossover hits with much in the way of Pop success. Gentry had a couple of hit duets with Glenn Campbell and Riley had a handful of Top10s on the Country charts over the next few years. But those three songs represented a peak for Country Pop crossovers with a strong feminine perspective, pairing the lyricism of Loretta Lynne and the storytelling of Flannery O'Connor with the crossover power of Motown or Stax Records - something Country Music had struggled with throughout the 1960s.
@@MRoyClark ❤
The reference to "Peyton Place" is connected to the book/movie/TV show about a small town that has more than its share of scandals among the people living there.
PEYTON place was a Weekly soap OPERA !Not a TV show!
@@Jerry-up8bk So was Dallas, Knots Landing, Dynasty, etc. and I don't ever recall anyone ever saying those weren't TV shows.
This was fun y’all. It sounds like something my Mom would do. She was a little lady but she didn’t let nobody push her...or us kids around. RIP Mom. I miss you.
I love her delivery on this song! Written by Tom T. Hall.
For a little context of the times back then...... There was a reference to a secretary who had to leave town is a reference to the guy getting his secretary pregnant. Single motherhood/unwed mothers were basically shamed and often left town to avert the scandal. There were terms and phrases about "a girl in trouble" or, "they HAD to get married" or "make an honest woman out of her" that were all related to pregnancies out of wedlock. So, if the guy didn't marry the woman (making her an honest woman), she often left town in disgrace. Different times. 😲😟
Yeah but in this case the secretary left town to not only hide the fact she was pregnant by her boss but HE was a married man and on the school board...
Oh yes! There were a few girls in our neighborhood that “ went away” for a year. Different times indeed
I had my son in 1974 and I wasn't going to be shamed and proudly had my beautiful baby boy. My Dad was a pastor and him and my Mom stood by me in my decision. Our church never made me feel ashamed . My son is now a grandfather to a very beautiful baby boy and I'm so proud of the man I raised him to be .
@@elizaolsen9532 Our daughter had our first grandbaby at 17. The 16 and pregnant jokes she endured had me almost thrown in jail a few times. He is now 8 years old with an IQ off the charts. Reading at an 8 grade level. My daughter is gorgeous and has been married for 5 years now to a wonderful man. All those gossipers back then try to talk to our Stagger Lee and I always respond with the death glare that has them turning around. Not once did we as parents get upset with her. We were doing the same damn thing at her age. She just happened to get pregnant her very first time. After that she saved herself for marriage. God needed Stagger Lee born at that time and he chose my daughter to be blessed with him. We are all here for a reason. I’m thankful you had great parents as well. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I have this on vinyl the flip side is "The Girl Most Likely" about people who think a poor girl is the most likely to get pregnant out side of marriage, but its actually the daughter of the richest man in town
Now that is Gangster! Love this song. You two are awesome.
Love this!!
I was a PTA Mom for a couple years and this is basically true 😆🤣
I was a teacher and the crap I heard in some of these meetings was horrible. that's why I quit going. Unprofessional behavior, then you wonder what is being said about you when you are not there. Disgusting.
Truth!!
I left after the first meeting. Lol.
@@jackiegoodspeed1849 I probably should have I was there for the right reasons but learned fast its not always buisness they wanted to talk lol 😆
@@thomastimlin1724 Real hypocritical "Gossip City".👿👺👹🗡️
This song was written by the great Tom T. Hall, country legend who passed away a year ago.. Great story-teller, if you check out some of his other songs. It was a huge crossover country-pop hit in 1968.
Great reaction Asia and BJ. Nope didn't have time for no PTA 😂. This song is a comical way at raising awareness to people who judge through their own hypocritical eyes, and those who have the courage to stand up to them. 💪
This is still one of the best songs to me!!! I like the comments by Asia and BJ, most have not tried to hear old time country music because they are one genre shows…..this is a beautiful classy show, I hope to see more from it, Asia and BJ not only are classy but look classy together in this show…..keep on keeping it real you two, peace out you just got a real fan today!!!
Beautiful Jeannie C. Riley and Bobby Gentry with those great voices!
I just discovered the other day that there is A Return to Harper Valley PTA. It's like part two. I was floored. I love this song but part two was a shock. I enjoyed it. Great reaction you two.
It sucked please don't waste your time.
After Jeannie got saved, she come out with the " Return To Harper Valley " You need to listen to it, it's more up to date with what goes on with our children!
I had a chance to listen to part 2
Jeannie C. Riley is best known for her 1968 country & pop hit "Harper Valley PTA". But she had some other songs such as "The Girl Most Likely", "There Never Was A Time," "The Rib," "The Back Side of Dallas," "Country Girl," "Oh Singer," & "Good Enough To Be Your Wife". Later she became a born-again Christian and began recording gospel music during the late 1970's.
*One of the most memorable movies of my childhood.. Harper Valley PTA stands out in the top 10. have watched that movie tons of times.. legends Barbara Eden & Nanette Fabray. still cracks me up all these years later. and the song? brilliant... hell it spawned a hit movie & a TV show. 70s good times*
And that was a live performance. True talent
The artist that wrote this song Tom T Hall
Wrote this song about his mother when he was a child in Kentucky....😊
Interesting, I never knew this song was written by Tom T. Hall but it makes sense as he used to write songs like Harper Valley PTA that tell stories.
Always loved this one. It was huge when it first came out.
Back in the day living in them small towns... Even now people all in your business in a small town... You have to see the movie it's a classic...
Just a small clarification. She says "Well there's Bobby Taylor sittin there and 7 times he's asked me for a date. And Mrs. Taylor sure seems to use a lot of ice when he's away" . That part is referring to Mrs. Taylor drinking a lot when her husband is out of town, because he's cheating on her, like he tried to do with Mrs. Johnson. I was 14 when this song came out, and I can't speak for other places, but this was a scandalous song in the rural country area I grew up in. It was a completely different time, a completely different life style.
Actually it’s a reference to her cheating on her husband with the ice man. Before modern refrigeration it was common to have big blocks of ice delivered weekly. You would place the block in the ice compartment and it would keep the rest of the fridge cool. The blocks were pretty large, a single block would usually last 5-7 days. However it seems she used a lot of ice, so much so she needed the ice man to deliver a new block every day when her husband was gone.
@@kylemma33 Refrigeration is surprisingly recent, and it took a long time before everyone could afford it. When my Dad first came to North America after WWII, his first job was delivering ice to houses for people's ice boxes. When he asked for the route, they told him, "Don't worry about it. The horse knows it."
Iceman... Getting busy
@@kylemma33 Were there still icemen delivering ice in the mid to late sixties? I know we had a refrigerator with a freezer when I was a kid and we weren't wealthy enough to have the most new-fangled stuff I've always thought it meant she was buying a lot of bags of ice cubes because she was entertaining a lot of guests when he was away.
I'm not trying to be rude, but I think you're wrong about the ice box theory I grew up in this era and we definitely had freezers
Tom T. Hall wrote the song, and Yes, it was about a real life experience. It was Jeannie C. Riley's breakout hit in 1968. It was a HUGE blockbuster hit for her.
My wife was part of the PTA , just to help out with fund raising, she quit when the person in change was stealing the funds....ouch.
Still love this song. Loved singing this song back in the day in Karaoke.
Great song, my favorite from my childhood. "The day my momma socked it to The Harper Valley PTA" Love it
"Sock it to me" was the jargon fad slang people were using then and everyone wore Sock it to me t-shirts. "The day my mama socked it to the HarperValleyPTA."
@@aarondigby5054 Didn't the expression originate from "Laugh-In' show on TV at the time?
I loved these story telling country gossip songs 🎵 ❤ so 70s
Asia & BJ, this is an old song that I grew up on. Oh Lord! Watching Asia’s face and then BJ looking at Asia like she’s crazy was priceless! I love watching people react to this video! Love love love it!
Great reaction. You two are a great pair.
Yeah, this was so well received to the Public they made it into a movie. 😅
Love it! Oh yes, the PTA of yesteryears! You two did great reviewing this!
I imagine PTAs probably still exist in some fom somewhere. HOAs are a neighborhood counterpart.
I remember when this hit the charts. It was big!!
When Jeannie C. Riley became a Christian, she released a sequel called Return to Harper Valley. At that point she was a devout Christian so the song came from her Christian perspective. I really enjoyed it and this time, her daughters own child is in Harper Valley High School. It catches up with all the people from the Harper Valley PTA
They made a movie off that I think. Also there's a part 2 to that song that she did later
When I saw the title I knew you’d be in for a shock lol.
😂😂😂😂
I love the sound of that resonator guitar ( also known by the brand name Dobro ) 1968 I think wow I was only a year old when this was recorded
Great reaction!!! Great song. Some of the lines in Jeannie C. Riley's only major Pop-crossover "Harper Valley PTA" (1968/US#1, UK#12) haven't aged very well, though. The point of the song still translates beautifully, but some of the phrases and pop culture references are lost on younger folks. Hell, I'm middle-aged, but this song came out almost a decade before I was born. I didn't really know it till the '00s, myself. I heard it a few times as a kid, but I never paid attention to the lyrics.
* "Mrs. Taylor seems to use a lot of ice, whenever he's away"
...means that Mrs. Taylor is as adulterous as her husband, Bobby. "Uses a lot of ice" was a euphemism for cheating on one's husband while he's working. It was a dated phrase already at the time, since refrigeration and home freezers had become common by 1968, but it's a reference to the fact that delivery men were often left alone "unsupervised" with housewives (fueling other Pop culture phrases as "the milkman's son" and "the postman always rings twice" which was also the name of a popular film).
* "Mr. Baker, can you tell us why your secretary had to leave this town?"
...*STRONGLY* implies that he got her pregnant and she was forced to move in shame rather than to have the baby out of wedlock or seek a legal abortion. (Abortion wouldn't be a legal option until 1972 and this was in 1968). In "polite society" having a child out of wedlock was still seen as some sort of crime back then, even though it was still quite common. Wealthy and middle-class women and girls were often shipped away or married off to a friend of the family, quickly. Poor women and girls were often disowned and left to fend for themselves. It was just sexist, classist nonsense, but it's how things were.
* "This is just a little Peyton Place and you're all Harper Valley hypocrites"
...references the then-popular soap opera, Peyton Place (1964-69). This was essentially calling out her local PTA for being gossipy, backstabbing, and melodramatic.
* "The day my momma socked it to the Harper Valley PTA"
...uses a variation on the then-trendy AAVE phrase "sock it to me" which translates to "tell it to me straight". It was a phrase popular in the late 60s, mostly made mainstream from its use on the TV comedy show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, but with a longer legacy thanks to its use in popular music - most notably with Aretha Franklin "Respect", Friends of Distinction "Grazin' in the Grass", The Isley Brothers "It's Your Thing", and Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels "Devil with a Blue Dress On". Missy Elliot had a hit with "Sock It to Me" in 1997, but the phrase's original meaning was long-obscured by the 1990s.
Anyway, this is a fabulous track and a super-fun reaction, but for anyone under retirement age, a lot of the best lines aren't easily understood. I hope this helps y'all a little if you were feeling kinda lost. :)
All true. In fact, there was a time here in Britain when having a baby out of wedlock was grounds to institutionalise the mother. Many spent the rest of their lives in an asylum.
Love this song from growing up! One of my faves
She also did a follow-up to this. It is good too!
An oldie but goodie. I love this song. So happy y'all did a reaction to it. ❤️
asia you have a million dollar smile beautiful i love your reactions
Country Western songs have relatable stories for everyone. Some sad, some funny.
I love you guys !!!!!!!! But where did Asia get that the Nurse sent home a note ??? LOL u go Girl
I love you guys ! Had this record when I was in 9th grade. BUT APPRECIATE IT MUCH MORE NOW ! THANKS FOR SHARING THE FUN . . .
I am that mama. Been there with the news media. I love this song.
my grandma ♥ this song!
They made a movie about it. Harper Valley PTA with Barbara Eden
Glad to have found your channel. Jeannie C. Riley: Harper Valley PTA. 1968. I heard the 5th Dimension video Stone Soul Picnic from 1968 as well. My favorite from them is AQUARIUS/ LET THE SUNSHINE IN 1969. These songs were my first introduction into music. I was about 4 in 1968 and 5 in '69. So my decade is the '70's and '80's. Love Seals and Crofts. Sumner Breeze 1972, and you'll love Diamond Girl 1973 also. Jim Seals sadly just passed away. Keep up the good work! Love the videos!
I love it!! Always have!! She went up in there and called them out!! Boom!
Cute cool song played on the radio in '68-69 when we just moved to Atlanta from Detroit. '60s had so many unique songs!
Asia has a brilliant life. It is contagious. Her laugh makes me laugh. Sending love
I was part of the PTA in the 90's. The gossip is real! Nosiest bunch I have EVER seen! I told them I wouldn't be a part of that. And when they took things seriously give me a call.
Love her gogo boots!💃
I was a kid when that was big, I loved it. Song was written by Tom T. Hall.
I love watching your reactions to these songs. Just found you all tonight. So I've spent my evening watching a lot of your reactions. You've gotten a new follower. Love y'all!! This one cracked me up because I could see my mom doing something like this. Knowing her she probably did. lol
Looked like a 60s Beehive hair style to me.
The beehive is a hairstyle in which long hair is piled up in a conical shape on the top of the head and slightly backwards pointing, giving some resemblance to the shape of a traditional beehive. It is also known as the B-52 due to a resemblance to the distinctive nose of the Boeing B-52 Strategic Bomber. Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 - 23 July 2011) a British singer and songwriter, had one.
Barbara Eden was the truth when flick came out!! “Harper Valley P.T.A.” was a movies from way back when I was little. Excellent choice, Asia and BJ!!
Thanks, this is still a great song. I remember it on the radio back in 68. Keep playing requests.
This was the title track to a movie in the early 70s. My next door neighbor (Rita Rose or Rosenbaum) used to tour with her back then as another singing act.
I love this song
I was a second or third grader at the time of the Harper Valley PTA. I enjoy 20 and 30 something reactions to this song.
I was a kid in elementary when this song came out. Mini skirts were the bomb.
I really need to listen to part two!! Same singer
I've watched a ton of your reactions --- this was my favorite!
I loved your reactions to this song!!!
I have watched you both a few times and you bring me joy, so I have now subscribed, you have me now, a old lady from the UK, bring it on.
1968, perhaps the greatest year in pop music, offsetting the chaos of that year. MLK, RFK, the height of the Vietnam war. Harper Valley PTA went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 9/21/68. It sold six million copies that year. Two weeks later Hey Jude took the top spot.
BTW, "Peyton Place" was a book that came out in the early 60's or late 50's that had a lot of things like what's in the song. So that line about Harper Valley being a little "Peyton Place" would have hit extra hard when the song came out. BTW, the song was written by Tom T. Hall, who had a good career himself as a singer.
Great show! I remember my momma listening to this song when I was a little girl. I’m 64
Love that song bought it when it came out and still enjoy it very much!
She put all of them on blast!! Shes like you say my skirt is too short, I should be raising my daughter this way, well let me tell you something… I loved it.! I remember the show, loved it too.
She also did a follow up to this song called "Return to Harper Valley"
I haven't heard this song in around 40 years... great reaction guys.
Loved this, cuz' I was around when it first came out!
The Harper V alley PTA was made into a movie or television series. I don't remember which, it might be both. Look for it and check out when you can.
I was fortunate to see her perform this live, I was about 10 and still remember.
Me too
Asia, your laugh is such a tonic every time, love you guys!
Jeannie C Riley was my first concert. I was 4 or 5 my parents and Aunt and Uncle took me my siblings and cousins. She was a newer artist..I think...because the concert was in a high school gym in Wichita Kansas.
Was my childhood this music, Rip, old fulla, my Dad was a country Man these songs remind me of him❤
I’ve seen 100 reactions to this song which I love Yours is the best!
is the best
Jeanie C is WIRKING those white go go boots!!!!
My mom had this record back then and played it so much that I had the lyrics memorized, long before I was old enough to understand half of them. LOL 🙂
Yeah, this is one of those sing along with songs from back then. May not have understood the lyrics but when it came on the radio it was sing along time.
😂
She also played the title role in the movie Harper Valley PTA. She's also very pretty.
Lovin' you two up here in Canada. Great to see your reactions to the music we grew up with and loved. Don't forget Chuck Berry's "Johnny b goode" live in Belgium.
Jeannie C. was raised north of me about 20 miles in Anson, Texas. For decades the city ordinance was No dancin in Anson
Love you guys for all the country music not to many will listen it
Song was written by Country Storyteller Tom T Hall his songs I Love, Country Is, I Like Beer, Old Dogs, Small Children and Watermelon Wine,
she did a follow up song called return to harper valley 30yrs later
Thanks for listening and reacting
One of my most favorite songs of all time
Yes, Barbara Eden starred in the TV movie. There's a video of this song with clips of the movie here on TH-cam :)
The actual “video “ of the movie is the best lol it shows them all as she’s giving it to them lol
Remember growing up to this classic, my late mom would play the old 45 on the stereo, wow, the old 45's. Vinyl albums, 8- tracks, players, and cassettes. Now we listen to CD's!!! Boy have times changed, LOL.
No. That song came out when I was a kid and after hearing that song I don't know anyone who wanted to be a member of the PTA
Wow. I can't believe I'm actually subscribed to a channel that reacted to one of my family members. Great reaction you two. 😄 I know she had certain well-known hits but being an oddball I always loved the one you didn't hear much about like, "Shed Me No Tears". My grandmother had a cassette tape of her songs that she passed down to me and I instantly fell in love with that particular one. You could truly feel the emotion she put into it
You two both made this song fun for me😆