Saw a sign outside a restaurant recently. "Due to labor shortages, long haired freaky people may now apply." Brilliant. Thanks A&A. This one brings back many memories of being a long haired guy in the late 60s. Peace and love to all.
In the sixties and early 70s there was absolutely a delineation between long and short hair on men, even no matter how successful or good you were. This song was BIG!
I've always loved seeing men with long hair, as long as they took care of it. When I was a child, my mom would take my siblings and me to the walk-in theater on the weekends to see the latest Western. While my brothers and sisters cheered on the cowboys, I was drooling over the Indians in their buckskins and war paint and bare chest.
@ecnoto it's about monetizing the video. Andy and Alex don't monetize...the money goes to the artist. Some still block, but most only do if you monetize your video on the back of their work
as a Late 60's long hair, there were lots of fist fights and near fist fights - long hair on a man was NOT an acceptable form of expression for maybe 18 months in Southern California. I remember my dad taking me to a hardware store, sending me in to buy something, them clerk took a look at my hair and told me to get out. My dad went in, came back out, and told me to go back in and get whatever it was. I went in and the guy didn't say a word, just sold it to me and handed me my change. I was pretty happy about it and when i got to the car dad asked if the guy apologized. I told him he didn't. Dad went back in and came out. He told me to go back in and buy a can of 3 in 1 oil. I did, and the guy said "sorry about before". Dad ALWAYS used to make me fight my own battles, but this ONE thing... this bias against long hair... really got to him. BTW, dad was no fan of my long hair either and we argued plenty about it... maybe he did all that because he knew I thought it meant something. post script - I am 70 and my hair is past my shoulder blades and nobody gives a fuck about.
@@hereforit170 What a nice thing to say. He always felt that he had a clear vision of how things could be handled and he wasn't shy about giving others a hand in seeing things his way.
I'm 73 and up until Covid I would let my hair grow until I had a ponytail down to between my shoulder blades. I would then get it cut and donate the hair for making wigs for Cancer patients, then I'd start growing it again. My hair is a Silver-Gray (not a drab dirty gray) and they liked it because the color was perfect for older women because it looked more natural for them.
This was mid-80s, but I made a friend with a guy with long hair and a real laid-back attitude (and liked a little weed now and then). Totally opposite of who I was at that time, but we got along great!
In second grade around 1973 I told my parents that I wanted to grow up and be a hippie and ride a chopper. They allowed me to grow it past my ears after many debates.
yeh we were sterotype jocks late 70s bur had many hippy friends also all.partied together hung out they always had the you know what at parties still friends to this dsy
A friend of mine from Ontario Canada sent me a photo of sign a farmer posted on his property line which was located in the Ottawa region back at that time in the late 60’s and it read “Any trespassers will be shot on sight”. I am told one of the band members of Five Man Electrical Band saw the sign as he was driving by and it became the inspiration for the song.
I hitchhiked everywhere in the early seventies, in Ottawa late one night Brian Rading of the band picked me up. I schooled with his brother Carl in Ottawa. Great band iconic tunes.
I assembled the Fender-Rhodes Electric Piano used on this song, and hundreds more between 1972- 78 on the "Keyboard" Dept... 54 people and 17 of us never cut our hair. A great place to work at that time. The place ROCKED with product testing.
In the late 70s just out of high school I applied for a job cleaning out the inside of airplanes. They said I’d have to cut my hair. I said why there’s no one on the plane but me. Needless to say I didn’t cut my hair or get the job. The song “almost cut my hair” by CSNY helped me take a stand. Definitely no regrets.
In the early '70 my band was finishing a gig in Ft. Lauderdale and went to this all-night restaurant called The Egg & You. As we were walking in the Allman Brothers was coming out and they warned us to be aware that people were hassling them about their hair. - That was a very common thing in those days.
Remember it well. Now I'm 70 years old and I haven't cut my hair since I happily retired 15 years ago. Spark Up My Pipe 3-4 times daily for over 57 years of smiles.
I think Grateful Dead used to rope of a section for him to dance and hang out in. Otherwise, could you imagine standing behind him at a show? You wouldn't see a thing!!! He went to lots of shows and wore Dead t-shirts in some of his interviews.
He was my bf's second cousin (his mom's cousin) and my boyfriend is 6'7". Definitely got his height from his mom's side. Also a love of sports And the Grateful Dead. They are also related to Blake Lively and his mom was very close to her dad growing up.
Thank you! I knew someone had to beat me to this. Finally scrolled enough 😂 Tesla was my introduction to the song. So sentimentally it's still my favorite. Great song!
This song has touched me for many years, especially the line where he makes his own sign. i am going through some major issues right now, including two hospital stays and major surgery. I have been thanking the Lord for thinking about me and being alive. A+ for me
You two do very well. Signs was recorded in 1970. Man alive I was your age back then. I was a hippie and the world was so much different then. Revolution was in the air. Vietnam was hated. This song was an A.
I'm 73 so I lived through it. The feeling between short hair/ long haired was NOT reciprocal. Those with long hair were disdained/frowned upon, yet while in the Air Force, I and friend took leave and went to Woodstock. Despite being the very rare "short haired" people there we were totally accepted, looked upon, and treated as a kindred soul.
It took me 24 years to figure out that long hair was cool and rebellious, but you can only get away with the truly disruptive and radical stuff when you cut your hair and put on a suit.
Somehow I still know every single lyric of this song. Made such a huge impression on me in my childhood. I’ve been so lucky 😊 to have grown up hearing what I heard.
I was raised in the Hudson Valley and remember all the Hippies going to Woodstock. There were 2 songs that I loved from that time. One was “Signs” and the other was “Hair”. Both iconic songs from the era!
I got my mom a reissue Beatles live album on vinyl for Christmas this year, and as we sat around the record player listening to it, I swear to God I felt the magic of what it was like in her era, getting together with whichever friend first bought the new album you were all excited for, listening together for the first time. Thanks for bringing some of that magic here. Great stuff
sortly after i got back from vietnam i was growing my hair. my wife and i went to rent an apartment from a business owner in town. he told me he won't rent to me because i had long hair. he said he would never hire anyone for his factory with long hair either. a few years later i saw a picture of him in the paper and he had semi long hair and long thick sideburns.
Les Emmerson, who wrote this song and was a member of the Five Man Electrical Band, taught me how to play guitar! The Five Man Electrical Band were formed out of Ottawa (my home town) and after they retired, Les went on to open the Campbell Music School in Ottawa which, coincidentally, was located a few blocks away from my house. When I first started learning guitar, I had no idea who he was or who the Five Man Electrical band were. My dad quickly filled me to their legendary status in Canada. Les passed a few years back and I always cherish the countless hours we had, one on one, while he was showing me the ropes of guitar playing. :)
One of the best signs I ever read was at the boarding gate of the Koh Samui, Thailand airport in the late 90's. There was an oil drum full of sand and the sign above it read "Please fully discharge your firearm before boarding the aircraft"
One of the best signs I ever saw was in a recreation center in the bathroom "Employees, did you was your hands?" Scribbled beneath was, "No, but I dried them."
Our family has today & since 1964 a sign company. In our work van heading to or from a job this would come on the radio occasionally in the 1970s. It was THEE TUNE we loved to hate.
When this song was a hit in 1971, I only listened to radio stations that played the single version or radio edit, which left out most of the instrumental intro as well as the instrumental outro. I didn’t get to hear the full version until about 10 years later. And when I heard it, I couldn’t believe what I had missed all those years!
Andy's friend had a point: there are simply songs (and albums) that will never even make it to an A&A poll, songs that even if mentioned in the comments may only garner a few likes. But there are SO many great ones out there of that certainly warrant your listening to. ("Signs" is a perfect example). I wish there was less reliance on polls - and that you could venture out into the unknown a little bit more, even if it's just a couple folks saying, "you gotta hear this one!" Not a poll, but maybe a thread topic: "Songs, albums and artists that really had an impact, or were a favorite of yours, but were not necessarily popular." Maybe you could enlist your old friend Adam to maybe pre-listen to a few and go, "Yeah, you really need to listen to this Brian Protheroe (or Aztec Two Step or Nina Hagen) song or album." ❤
I remember one time when I was 5yo, we were riding home and this song came on and I was so excited because it was my favorite. On that same car ride I remember "Green eyed lady" played and I was wondering if my green eyed mom had a magical side to her that I didn't see.
1971: The year before I graduated from HS - still the greatest song ever written/performed. By Canadians, no less -- well, they were letting our draft-age men come up there.
AWESOME lightning in a bottle song. Been trying to get you to hear this for a while. Great nod to the song with your hat Alex. Such great lyrics. Give those boys an S-tier. It was a great song from a Canadian band.
Great song. Love your exploration into early rock, even though this was released in 1971. It does capture the tenor of the era. It is great musically and lyrically. Keep exploring early rock, and the R&B, funk, folk, blues and jazz that all came together to inspire it, and a generation that enjoyed it. It was an incredible time to come of age. Some much creativity and innovation in music
Damn we had a lot of great music growing up. And an allusion to Woody Guthrie's verse that doesn't get taught in elementary school: As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there And that sign said "No trespassin'" But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin! Now that side was made for you and me! - from "This Land Is Your Land."
I find it hard to believe that this song hasn't been requested/mentioned on your channel, previously. This was a huge song, when it was released. It was a Hippie Anthem. It's still played, a lot, on classic rock radio.
I grew up out in the country in Missouri, and was one of those long-haired freaky people in the late 70s. As a junior and senior I worked at a full service gas station, and the head manager and our mechanic were always joking that they were going to take into the back of the garage and cut all my hair off. I’ve always loved this song, and still know all the words even though I’ve not heard it for two or three decades. Thanks for the good tunes!
Don't know if you've done or heard this song before, but Charlie Daniels' "Long Haired Country Boy" is a great tune. Also, since you mentioned Easy Rider try Daniels' "Uneasy Rider" on for size.
A band from my home town, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They, Paul Anka, Bruce Cockburn and The Cooper Brothers are some of the excellent bands and musical artists that hailed from Ottawa. Bryan Adams grew up here, but wasn't from here, and Dan Aykroyd was born here, but is better known as an actor than as a musician.
Yes, as others have said, this song was an anthem that we all lived during the 70's. VERY COOL. I'm glad you finally heard this after all this time but at the same time, I am surprised that you haven't heard till now!
Thanks for hitting this one! This turned up on the endless ramdom jukebox that plays in my head a couple weeks ago. Always loved this tune and sentiment.
Great song from an amazing group! I grew up in the Ottawa area and got to see them practicing at a farm while I was on a weekend sensory course (freaky and very intense) for my summer camp job. Whenever the bass got loud, the cows came running and mooing! Also went to school with Brian Sim who joined the band a number of years back and I remember him playing in 8th grade (1966) at Graham Park School in a little band of his called the Atoms. So glad to see him join the Five Man Electric Band - such a talented guy! Thanks Andy&Alex - would love to see you react to "I'm a Stranger Here", another big hit of theirs.
I forgot how much this one kicks ass, especially at that time! Thank You!! I dated a musician with hair to his waist. That meant, for me, I had to have mine longer! lol 20 yrs later, my hair is also to my waist and it was living through that time that made me feel the way I do about hair.
I had this on 8-track…. Well lots of them. Wore them all out. Gotta love Canada music!!🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 The 8track had on the front… The power of a Five Man Electrical Band. The whole album was fantastic!!!!! Absolutely Right, Im a Strange Here, Werewolf…..
At the high school I went to, the principal got tired of telling the boys to cut their hair. One day, he rounded up all the longhairs, herded them into a school bus, drive them to the barber shop, and paid for all of them to get their hair cut. That was 1968, and it made all the local papers. Try that today and there would be violence, multiple lawsuits, and bloodshed at School Board meetings.
Saw a sign outside a restaurant recently. "Due to labor shortages, long haired freaky people may now apply." Brilliant. Thanks A&A. This one brings back many memories of being a long haired guy in the late 60s. Peace and love to all.
😂 I love it!
Far out, man
😆
Awesome and groovy!
ive seen that too haha
In the sixties and early 70s there was absolutely a delineation between long and short hair on men, even no matter how successful or good you were. This song was BIG!
And then came the 80s and that ended because the hippies were now the adults in the room. Very lenient parents.
@@viclagina347 my mullet got me pulled over several times in the 80s. that and the speeding.
Heck, the *Beatles'* original bowl cuts were considered "too long", and got them called "mop tops".
@@independenceltd. pigs be pigs
I've always loved seeing men with long hair, as long as they took care of it. When I was a child, my mom would take my siblings and me to the walk-in theater on the weekends to see the latest Western. While my brothers and sisters cheered on the cowboys, I was drooling over the Indians in their buckskins and war paint and bare chest.
I really love that you guys don't stop the song to comment. Let it play out, then do your reaction. I love watching you enjoy the music 🎵🎶
That is what makes them unique!! Love that too!!
EXACTLY!!!!!!
Absolutely 👏🏼💯
Yeah but I wonder why they can do it and all other reactors say they don’t have a choice if they want to avoid being blocked..
@ecnoto it's about monetizing the video. Andy and Alex don't monetize...the money goes to the artist. Some still block, but most only do if you monetize your video on the back of their work
The original version! Yay.
What? You mean there's another version? 😂 Yes, the original and the BEST.
@@Cheryl_Haydon as opposed to a live version . . .
Yes, thank goodness not Tesla.
Yes, the shorter radio-friendly version leaves out the intro, and fades out much sooner at the end, making the song nearly a minute shorter.
@@rodjohnson2632 Totally forgot that!!
Haven't heard this in ages and still know every word.
Thank you lord for thinking bout me I’m alive and doing fine…🩵✌🏼🩵
Whoo!!
There's a terrific "religious" song on this album taking the theme further: "Safe and Sound With Jesus".
Ain't that the truth Darlin😅
Yes and Amen!!
as a Late 60's long hair, there were lots of fist fights and near fist fights - long hair on a man was NOT an acceptable form of expression for maybe 18 months in Southern California. I remember my dad taking me to a hardware store, sending me in to buy something, them clerk took a look at my hair and told me to get out. My dad went in, came back out, and told me to go back in and get whatever it was. I went in and the guy didn't say a word, just sold it to me and handed me my change. I was pretty happy about it and when i got to the car dad asked if the guy apologized. I told him he didn't. Dad went back in and came out. He told me to go back in and buy a can of 3 in 1 oil. I did, and the guy said "sorry about before". Dad ALWAYS used to make me fight my own battles, but this ONE thing... this bias against long hair... really got to him. BTW, dad was no fan of my long hair either and we argued plenty about it... maybe he did all that because he knew I thought it meant something. post script - I am 70 and my hair is past my shoulder blades and nobody gives a fuck about.
I do, get it cut.....no just joking, great story like something you see in the movies.
What a great dad.
@@hereforit170 What a nice thing to say. He always felt that he had a clear vision of how things could be handled and he wasn't shy about giving others a hand in seeing things his way.
What a great memory 😊
I'm 73 and up until Covid I would let my hair grow until I had a ponytail down to between my shoulder blades. I would then get it cut and donate the hair for making wigs for Cancer patients, then I'd start growing it again. My hair is a Silver-Gray (not a drab dirty gray) and they liked it because the color was perfect for older women because it looked more natural for them.
I loved the hippies and freaks. Teenager in the 70s, and the long-haired guys were the coolest, cutest and the easiest to get along with.
I could have lived without the huge mustaches & the chops! 😂😂😂
The mustaches looked good on some, like Burton Cummings, but the mutton chops wasn't a good look.
This was mid-80s, but I made a friend with a guy with long hair and a real laid-back attitude (and liked a little weed now and then). Totally opposite of who I was at that time, but we got along great!
In second grade around 1973 I told my parents that I wanted to grow up and be a hippie and ride a chopper. They allowed me to grow it past my ears after many debates.
yeh we were sterotype jocks late 70s bur had many hippy friends also all.partied together hung out they always had the you know what at parties still friends to this dsy
The last line still gets me choked up. "Thank you Lord for thinking about me, I'm alive and doing fine."
Another great CANADIAN Band from back in the day tat we still listen to up here !!!!
yep, aka The Staccatos from Ottawa. Love their hit called Signs.
Glad to see the young generation kicking back and appreciating the music of our generation. The 70s was an incredible time to be young and alive
I was born in 1960, you can NEVER understand the influence the music of the 60s and 70s have had on my soul and life!
I'll turn 64 in a few more months.
Im 63 alsoTHE 60s AND 70s RRRRRUUUULLLEEEE
Nov i turn 64 JESUS CHRIST WILLING
Born in 1961 here..... so I DO! Same here man!
@@AudiophileTubes Very Grovy..we had a blast in the late 60s n 70s
A friend of mine from Ontario Canada sent me a photo of sign a farmer posted on his property line which was located in the Ottawa region back at that time in the late 60’s and it read “Any trespassers will be shot on sight”. I am told one of the band members of Five Man Electrical Band saw the sign as he was driving by and it became the inspiration for the song.
I hitchhiked everywhere in the early seventies, in Ottawa late one night Brian Rading of the band picked me up. I schooled with his brother Carl in Ottawa. Great band iconic tunes.
The song was written in California when the band was doing some recording.
Good story.
Get outa town 😎
1971 was an incredible year for music!
STAIR WAY TO HEAVEN RELESED IN 71
I assembled the Fender-Rhodes Electric Piano used on this song, and hundreds more between 1972- 78 on the "Keyboard" Dept... 54 people and 17 of us never cut our hair. A great place to work at that time. The place ROCKED with product testing.
Thank you for your contribution... to music and the atmosphere!
In the late 70s just out of high school I applied for a job cleaning out the inside of airplanes. They said I’d have to cut my hair. I said why there’s no one on the plane but me. Needless to say I didn’t cut my hair or get the job. The song “almost cut my hair” by CSNY helped me take a stand. Definitely no regrets.
In the early '70 my band was finishing a gig in Ft. Lauderdale and went to this all-night restaurant called The Egg & You. As we were walking in the Allman Brothers was coming out and they warned us to be aware that people were hassling them about their hair. - That was a very common thing in those days.
Remember it well. Now I'm 70 years old and I haven't cut my hair since I happily retired 15 years ago. Spark Up My Pipe 3-4 times daily for over 57 years of smiles.
Ha . Same here.i retired,grew my hair long and hit the pipe 24 7 . 70 years old now.
69 year old granny here, letting my gray flag fly HIGH!
Rock on Beavis!
I'll be 70 this year, haven't cut my hair since I retired at 57. 🚬🚬🚬
Wish I had my hair at 69 but been sparking up since 1971. Rock On!
RIP Bill Walton. He was a long haired hippie playing basketball in Portland in the 70s.
we loved ol bill thats a foul.haha doctors butchered the good ol boy
thats a fi
oul.puhleeze
YES IN DEED THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ONE THE WORLD CHAMPIONS IN JUNE OF 1977 I LIVED in Warrenton Oregon then they where fantastic
I think Grateful Dead used to rope of a section for him to dance and hang out in. Otherwise, could you imagine standing behind him at a show? You wouldn't see a thing!!! He went to lots of shows and wore Dead t-shirts in some of his interviews.
He was my bf's second cousin (his mom's cousin) and my boyfriend is 6'7". Definitely got his height from his mom's side. Also a love of sports And the Grateful Dead. They are also related to Blake Lively and his mom was very close to her dad growing up.
A band from the 80s Tesla, covered this and was a huge hit for them.
Yep, out of Sacramento; I remember them well.
Great cover!
Thank you! I knew someone had to beat me to this. Finally scrolled enough 😂 Tesla was my introduction to the song. So sentimentally it's still my favorite. Great song!
It was better if you ask me.
The 80s loved to copy the 70s
This song has touched me for many years, especially the line where he makes his own sign. i am going through some major issues right now, including two hospital stays and major surgery. I have been thanking the Lord for thinking about me and being alive. A+ for me
Hang in there... sending you energy and light.
@@HealthAtAnyCost Thank you.
Love it when the music transports me back to the 60s/ 70s
I love the intro to this song!! The drums, then keys, then that fantastic guitar chord progression, and yes those soaring harmonies!!
I was 10 years old when this song hit the radio and have liked it ever since. Thanks for the memories.
Happy that you guys are finally reacting to this song. This has to be one of the greatest songs from the 70's. S tier in my humble opinion!
MONGO JERRY INTHE SUMMER TIME SOLD 35 MILLION RECORDS
You two do very well. Signs was recorded in 1970. Man alive I was your age back then. I was a hippie and the world was so much different then. Revolution was in the air. Vietnam was hated. This song was an A.
I'm 73 so I lived through it. The feeling between short hair/ long haired was NOT reciprocal. Those with long hair were disdained/frowned upon, yet while in the Air Force, I and friend took leave and went to Woodstock. Despite being the very rare "short haired" people there we were totally accepted, looked upon, and treated as a kindred soul.
My dad was one of your fellow shorthairs at Woodstock, just out of basic if I recall.
@@mattcanich In a crowd of over 3000 we were easy to spot because we stood out. LOL
It took me 24 years to figure out that long hair was cool and rebellious, but you can only get away with the truly disruptive and radical stuff when you cut your hair and put on a suit.
Fit right in on the radio with Spirit in the Sky and Hair....
Or think of the Bob Seger song Turn the Page. The line “is that a woman or a man” about when he goes into a diner. Seger had real long hair back then.
Somehow I still know every single lyric of this song. Made such a huge impression on me in my childhood. I’ve been so lucky 😊 to have grown up hearing what I heard.
What memorable music came out of the late 60"s and early 70's. And were still listening and loving it today.
What a great song. I have such memories of hearing this song on the car radio when my family went on a road trip in 1971.
The follow-up “Absolutely Right” is even better.
I was raised in the Hudson Valley and remember all the Hippies going to Woodstock. There were 2 songs that I loved from that time. One was “Signs” and the other was “Hair”. Both iconic songs from the era!
I love this song so much.its so nostalgic great reaction
LoveEd this song Played it on the jukebox in the diner all the time!!!
Brings back memories of hearing this song on the radio as a 11 year old kid. It was one if my favorites because of the lyrics as much as anything.
I love that in-your-face cymbal and other surprises at this early era of isolated recording techniques.
I got my mom a reissue Beatles live album on vinyl for Christmas this year, and as we sat around the record player listening to it, I swear to God I felt the magic of what it was like in her era, getting together with whichever friend first bought the new album you were all excited for, listening together for the first time. Thanks for bringing some of that magic here. Great stuff
Another fine Canadian band from the early 70s. This was all over the radio airwaves, when I was a child. Loved it. ---OronOfMontreal
they were originally the Staccatos when they performed in Ottawa. My favourite song of the 5 Man was "Signs"
One of the early singles I ever bought. Actually from the early 70s and not the 60s.
I had the single, too. Probably still out in the garage somewhere.
@@patriciamorgan6545mine’s up in the attic!😁
sortly after i got back from vietnam i was growing my hair. my wife and i went to rent an apartment from a business owner in town. he told me he won't rent to me because i had long hair. he said he would never hire anyone for his factory with long hair either. a few years later i saw a picture of him in the paper and he had semi long hair and long thick sideburns.
Les Emmerson, who wrote this song and was a member of the Five Man Electrical Band, taught me how to play guitar! The Five Man Electrical Band were formed out of Ottawa (my home town) and after they retired, Les went on to open the Campbell Music School in Ottawa which, coincidentally, was located a few blocks away from my house. When I first started learning guitar, I had no idea who he was or who the Five Man Electrical band were. My dad quickly filled me to their legendary status in Canada. Les passed a few years back and I always cherish the countless hours we had, one on one, while he was showing me the ropes of guitar playing. :)
Just an observation: Five Man ElectricAL Band. Well done, guys.
Watch and listen to them everyday
Thank you for reacting to this great song. ❤
One of the best signs I ever read was at the boarding gate of the Koh Samui, Thailand airport in the late 90's. There was an oil drum full of sand and the sign above it read "Please fully discharge your firearm before boarding the aircraft"
OMG…safety first! 🤣
One of the best signs I ever saw was in a recreation center in the bathroom "Employees, did you was your hands?" Scribbled beneath was, "No, but I dried them."
Always loved this song, great story telling about freedom man !!!
I loved this one as a kid! In 71, I was just 8 years old when this song came out. I remember thinking I was so cool because I understood the concept
It is really cool when you start to get to that age where you understand the deeper meaning behind songs. 😊
I remember singing with everyone on school bus😂 I still know all the words, graduated high school 1977😊 ✌️
That was 1971... I was in junior high. Carol KIng, Tapestry and Led Zeppelin !V , The Doors, L.A. Woman. So many things to listen to at the time!
I love this song, reminds me of Junior High School, it was very popular.
This band was from my hometown (Ottawa, Canada) and this song was HUGE here back in the day. Thanks for listening to this one, dudes.
yep, they started off in Ottawa as the Staccatos
@@coldlakealta4043 I was saddened when Les Emmerson died a few years ago. The man was a local legend. RIP
Haha, haven't heard this in prolly 50 years!! Was in Jr. High. 72-73? Wow what a decade, honestly.....wow.
Our family has today & since 1964 a sign company. In our work van heading to or from a job this would come on the radio occasionally in the 1970s. It was THEE TUNE we loved to hate.
Loved when it came on the radio! Everyone sang along at the top of their voice!! ❤
Oh, the battles we had with our parents... Early seventies, early teen years, all we wanted to do was grow our hair long.
...and wear bell bottoms...😊
I have a seventeen-year old son - he stopped cutting his hair during Covid, and never restarted. We like it, and encourage it.
Absolutely! My mother caved before my father did.
AND VERY ATTRACTIVE ON 70s babes 4 sure
LOVE THIS SONG!!!! The ultimate protest song.
When this song was a hit in 1971, I only listened to radio stations that played the single version or radio edit, which left out most of the instrumental intro as well as the instrumental outro. I didn’t get to hear the full version until about 10 years later. And when I heard it, I couldn’t believe what I had missed all those years!
I remember this song being on the radio all the time. Great song.
Andy's friend had a point: there are simply songs (and albums) that will never even make it to an A&A poll, songs that even if mentioned in the comments may only garner a few likes. But there are SO many great ones out there of that certainly warrant your listening to. ("Signs" is a perfect example). I wish there was less reliance on polls - and that you could venture out into the unknown a little bit more, even if it's just a couple folks saying, "you gotta hear this one!" Not a poll, but maybe a thread topic: "Songs, albums and artists that really had an impact, or were a favorite of yours, but were not necessarily popular." Maybe you could enlist your old friend Adam to maybe pre-listen to a few and go, "Yeah, you really need to listen to this Brian Protheroe (or Aztec Two Step or Nina Hagen) song or album." ❤
I remember one time when I was 5yo, we were riding home and this song came on and I was so excited because it was my favorite. On that same car ride I remember "Green eyed lady" played and I was wondering if my green eyed mom had a magical side to her that I didn't see.
this song is a real favorite of mine, glad you found it
Forgot about this song, thanks for playing it.
Such a seriously fun and appropriate song!
1971: The year before I graduated from HS - still the greatest song ever written/performed. By Canadians, no less -- well, they were letting our draft-age men come up there.
Well, most of the great music from the 60s to the 80s came from Canada, just sayin'
Haven’t heard this for absolute ages!!
AWESOME lightning in a bottle song. Been trying to get you to hear this for a while. Great nod to the song with your hat Alex. Such great lyrics. Give those boys an S-tier. It was a great song from a Canadian band.
Great song. Love your exploration into early rock, even though this was released in 1971. It does capture the tenor of the era. It is great musically and lyrically. Keep exploring early rock, and the R&B, funk, folk, blues and jazz that all came together to inspire it, and a generation that enjoyed it. It was an incredible time to come of age. Some much creativity and innovation in music
Great song. Love this!
Speaking of long hair...Andy, love it! So different from the days you did reactions from your bedroom. ❤😊
An absolute classic. the last line still gives me chills. Brilliant
Damn we had a lot of great music growing up. And an allusion to Woody Guthrie's verse that doesn't get taught in elementary school:
As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said "No trespassin'"
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me! - from "This Land Is Your Land."
As I remember, this song created quite a stire when it came out. Both for the lyrics and for the catchy tune! Ah, the early 70's!
I find it hard to believe that this song hasn't been requested/mentioned on your channel, previously. This was a huge song, when it was released. It was a Hippie Anthem. It's still played, a lot, on classic rock radio.
I grew up out in the country in Missouri, and was one of those long-haired freaky people in the late 70s. As a junior and senior I worked at a full service gas station, and the head manager and our mechanic were always joking that they were going to take into the back of the garage and cut all my hair off.
I’ve always loved this song, and still know all the words even though I’ve not heard it for two or three decades.
Thanks for the good tunes!
I thought everyone moved when they heard music. Nope. Mama had music on every day. Grateful! Love & miss her.
This song was so big when I was 12. Knew all the words the first day.
Number 1 song around 1972.....I would have been about 12 !!! One of my teenage favorites ...the 1st sing I ever heard in stereo on a FM station
Don't know if you've done or heard this song before, but Charlie Daniels' "Long Haired Country Boy" is a great tune. Also, since you mentioned Easy Rider try Daniels' "Uneasy Rider" on for size.
Great suggestions!
Tokin on a number and digging on the radio.
Uneasy Rider ‘88 too. Not about long hair but a great tune
A band from my home town, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They, Paul Anka, Bruce Cockburn and The Cooper Brothers are some of the excellent bands and musical artists that hailed from Ottawa. Bryan Adams grew up here, but wasn't from here, and Dan Aykroyd was born here, but is better known as an actor than as a musician.
yep, started as the Staccatos for many years
Yes, as others have said, this song was an anthem that we all lived during the 70's. VERY COOL. I'm glad you finally heard this after all this time but at the same time, I am surprised that you haven't heard till now!
Thanks for hitting this one! This turned up on the endless ramdom jukebox that plays in my head a couple weeks ago. Always loved this tune and sentiment.
One of THE Best Rock Songs of All Time!!!
Great song from an amazing group! I grew up in the Ottawa area and got to see them practicing at a farm while I was on a weekend sensory course (freaky and very intense) for my summer camp job. Whenever the bass got loud, the cows came running and mooing! Also went to school with Brian Sim who joined the band a number of years back and I remember him playing in 8th grade (1966) at Graham Park School in a little band of his called the Atoms. So glad to see him join the Five Man Electric Band - such a talented guy! Thanks Andy&Alex - would love to see you react to "I'm a Stranger Here", another big hit of theirs.
Such a great tune from ‘71.
I forgot how much this one kicks ass, especially at that time! Thank You!! I dated a musician with hair to his waist. That meant, for me, I had to have mine longer! lol 20 yrs later, my hair is also to my waist and it was living through that time that made me feel the way I do about hair.
I had this on 8-track…. Well lots of them. Wore them all out. Gotta love Canada music!!🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 The 8track had on the front… The power of a Five Man Electrical Band. The whole album was fantastic!!!!! Absolutely Right, Im a Strange Here, Werewolf…..
Huge hit in 1971. Ottawa Ontario band. Thank you Canada!
One of my all time favorite songs.
When my son was two years old, this was his favourite song 😊❤!
You guys were born too late. Glad you’re enjoying it all now.
This band’s follow-up single, “Absolutely Right” is a real banger.
Their best is one called "I'm A Stranger Here." It has a message that may be more relevant now, 50 years later. Also, a great rock song.
One more of the more underrated bands from Canada (formed in Ottawa).
Even some Canadians don't realize they're a Canadian band.
At the high school I went to, the principal got tired of telling the boys to cut their hair. One day, he rounded up all the longhairs, herded them into a school bus, drive them to the barber shop, and paid for all of them to get their hair cut. That was 1968, and it made all the local papers. Try that today and there would be violence, multiple lawsuits, and bloodshed at School Board meetings.
If the principal had tried to force me into a haircut, he would have been forced into a hospital. I kinda dug my hair and was a wee bit protective lol
One of my favorite old songs.
Five Man Electrical Band - Absolutely Right - I'm a Stranger here
So 60’s. My music. Love it! This is a very up tempo protest song.
This was a big hit!!! I was a young teen when this came out on the radio.❤️
This is one of those songs that the lyrics stick with you......for years!