This promises to be a never-ending list. Let’s get started. Remember?:
The Mighty 690 on AM radio
94.7 KMET and Dr. Demento
KIQQ (100.3, pre-Pirate Radio)
93 KHJ and KDAY
The Three Stooges
The Little Rascals
Pippi Longstocking
The Incredible Mr. Limpet
Kung Fu Theater on Channel 9
The pre-Pure Rock 105.5 KNAC (slogan: “The Heart of Rock and Roll”)
Popeye on Channel 5 on Sunday mornings (Tom Slick and Super Chicken)
Twilight Zone Marathon on Thanksgiving and July 4th (also on KTLA Channel 5)
Members Only jackets
Le Tigre, the sellable knock-off to the exceedingly elite Izod “Alligator” shirts
Dolfin Shorts
Leg Warmers
Dittos (hurt me!)
Jordache jeans
Chemin de Fer
Gauchos
Girls with strawberry lip gloss
McDonald’s bracelets to hold your lunch money (fifty cents)
Pete Ellis Dodge commercials (“Long Beach Freeway, Firestone exit, Southgate”)
Carpeteria commercials
Phil n’ Jim’s commercials
National Lumber (Shorty!)
Lake Delores (Lake Dolores)
Cal Worthington and his dog Spot! (And no, you weren’t the only kid who thought it went “pussy cow”)
Jack LaLanne
Smog alerts, which called recess off
Earthquake Drills and “Drop Drills”
Heads Up Seven Up on rainy days at school
The Red Balloon
Steal the Bacon
Vans
O.P. shorts
Puka shell necklaces
Unbreakable combs
Switchblade combs
Bolt
Hang Ten
Stubbies
Baja Lopez ponchos
Flojos
Krofft Superstars, the show by Sid and Marty Krofft
POW!, the telephone call-in video game on the Krofft show
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters
The Bugaloos
Lidsville
HR Pufnstuf
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl
The White Shadow
What’s Happening!
S.W.A.T.
CHiPs
Emergency!
Speed Racer on Channel 56 (UHF!)
Wally George on Channel 56
Real People
Bowling for Dollars
The Incredible Hulk
The Love Boat
Fantasy Island
Licorice Pizza
Pup n’ Taco
Sambo’s (renamed to Denny’s for the purpose of political correction)
Disneyland’s Monsanto’s Adventure Thru Inner Space
E tickets, D tickets, C tickets, B tickets, and A tickets
The Marathon Bar
Wax Lips
Candy cigarettes
Fred Rated and the Federated Group
Montgomery Ward (i.e. “Monkey Wards”)
MV3 with Richard Blade
Blue Chip stamp redemption centers
Sears Surplus
Fedco
Gemco
Zody’s
The Treasury
Orbach’s
Kinney’s
Buster Brown
Tom McCann
Farrell’s
Marineland
Skate parks
Top Siders with no socks
Pee-Chee folders
Trapper-Keepers
The denim folder
Pencil fighting
A.Y.S.O.
Shasta soda
Aspen soda (apple flavored)
Fresca
The Nestea plunge
Alba 77
Schwinn Stingrays
Green Machines
G.I. Joes
Army Men
Slime
Speak and Spell
Stop Thief!
Connect Four
Hot Wheels with never enough tongues for the tracks
Eraser Mate
The four colored ball point pen(!!!)
Mattel Football
Rubik’s Cube
Pyraminx
Missing Link
Water Basketball (thumb cramp!)
Sea-Monkeys
V (the series)
Pintos, Gremlins, Datsun B210s, and Volkswagen Squarebacks
Roller Disco
Space Invaders
Asteroids
Asteroids Deluxe (had a shield instead of hyperspace)
Frogger
Seawolf (sucked)
Dragon’s Lair
Centipede
Millipede (with the TNT)
Pengo
Defender
Defender Stargate
Scramble
Galaga
Galaxian
Pac-Man
Super Cobra
Atari 2600
ON TV
SelecTV
Red Devil Fireworks
Cool metal lunchboxes and the lame oddball yellow plastic Snoopy one
Slip n’ Slide
Toss Across (beanbag Tic-Tac-Toe)
Lawn Darts
Stephan! Jack Stephan!
Bandini Mountain
Lolly lolly lolly get your adverbs here (anybody else think it was “f-words here”?)
Cheese and crackers
Cheese and crackers
Pizza cheese
Taco cheese
Peanut butter crackers
Peanut butter crackers…
Bubble-Up.
Shadoe Stevens
The Wherehouse
The Mighty 690
Rainbow shirts with cords or dittos and slip-on Vans with tape on the toes.
Inchworm
Hoppity Hop
Jaws game
Sit’n’Spin
Rankin/Bass
Pup’n’Taco
Tastee Freeze
Sambos! They always gave free cookies to kids
Tootsie Roll commercial… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qayjR8Qbyfc
The Big Slide
Restaurants in department stores
70mm 6-track Dolby Stereo
Ship’s coffee shop
Turnstiles in supermarkets
Movies till dawn
Biff’s
Double features
Carnivals in supermarket parking lots
Fourth of July fireworks in the city parks
Here’s the video of Cheech in Born in East L.A.:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=SiFGr51ubV4
Part of the way through the song, it turns into “I Love L.A.”, “We love it…”
More good South Bay flashbacks on this Facebook thread.
My favorite beach will always be Zuma, home of a Neil Young album, home of many famous artists, like “Tangled Up in Blue” types of people, etc. etc. (anon.).
Best body surfing on the Bay, and sandy hot dogs in the 70s.
And I think Mick Jagger mention Zuma Beach in the song “Some Girls”, which involved giving her half of what he owned.
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/r/rolling+stones/some+girls_20118218.html
Remember when the Del Amo Mall and Del Amo Fashion Center were “open air malls”? Does anyone remember the spaceship on the north side of Monkey Wards where you could watch movies?
This is the video of “Words/Walking in L.A.” Missing Persons, featuring Dale Bozzio, who was a backup singer for Frank Zappa, a gentleman from Palmdale.
Live from the US Festival, in San Bernadino:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=XcnptUmDVQM
I grew up in the valley in the 70’s. How many remember
Music+ Stores
Standard Brand Shoes
Kinney Shoes
Trampolines on Ventura Blvd.
Farrell’s Ice Cream
Builders Emporium
TG&Y Stores
Famous Amos cookie stores
Waterbed World
Millers Outpost
Pipe N Pizza
Skater Cross
Indian Dunes
Ice Capades
I Joy Bagles
Pizza Peddler
TV Show “Thrill Seekers” with Chuck Conners
Kids Show Big Blue Marble
Buffalo Bills Resturant
How about cruising Van Nuys Blvd. (before they put up all the triple street lights) and then going to Farrel’s Ice Cream afterwards.
Such a comprehensive list, and no mention of Chess King. I guess some folks didn’t wear ties when they were growing up.
Also, I can see why Tommy’s might not be on here, unless you consider that it hasn’t been the same since they switched from bottled soda to cans at the old transmission repair garage now known as “the shack”.
Olan Mills should also merit a nod, seeing as how they managed to brand our family memories so effectively.
Chess King lol. Leather ties at that.
Can’t bring up Chess King without throwing out the Oak Tree. There was also the as-eighties-as-it-gets boutique Merry-Go-Round, and her brother store, DJ’s Fashion Center for Men. (To be renamed to Dejaiz just before going belly-up.) I actually worked there when I was nineteen, in the Del Amo store.
Can you say Cavaricci?
Old Towne Mall in Torrance
White Front Store
Magic Window – colored sand in plastic – shake it and make pictures
Shrinky Dinks
Bad News Bears movies
$6 Million Man bubble gum cards
8-track tape player in custom vans that had shag carpert
“Time for Milk” PSAs
Lakers @ The Forum
Rams @ The Coliseum
pop rocks, vans roller skates, corduroy pants, levi’s, the bands (cheap trick and the cars), freshen up (the gum) squirts in your mouth, etc.. Good recolection.
Oh yea, Numero Uno Pizza and The Pike.
Sweatbands on the head and wrist (rainbow colored especially)
The Harlem Globetrotters at The Forum each year [as an aside, I love on The Simpsons when Krusty the Klown bets on the Washington Generals (their rivals who lose every game). “Hey, they were due,” he cries].
The stars of the Globetrotters: Meadowlark Lemon and Curly Neil.
The show “Dusty’s Treehouse” on Sunday mornings.
The cartoon “Beany and Cecil”.
Dannon Frozen Yogurt stores (with carob chips!)
Freeways with chain link fence dividers, before they switched to concrete.
“Your momma’s so low she plays handball on the curb.”
Dead baby jokes
(Wafer style) ice cream cones with the first names on ’em. SALLY, ROB, PAUL…
Girls wearing jumpsuits patterned after gas station mechanics (with logo patches and everything). Now that was bizarre.
Yes DustyTree house was on a cable network maybe late 90’s.I think it was treasures.
Abbazabba and car phones.Glo friends,g.l.o.w. ladys of wrestling and madames place(puppet)my little pony.Those plastic shoes.
And shirt…ttttales.Many movie wrongs hosted by elvira,already said.
childrens cable network,and olympic entertainment group.
Well,can’t find info.Only saying it was 1995 along with the new zoo review.Had to be there I guess.
I read that tony urbano did some puppet work for the movie
TEAM AMERICA.
I should add that Dodger third baseman Ron Cey’s nickname was “The Penguin”.
Also, has anyone mentioned talk show hostess Cindy Garvey, wife of the (two-timing) Dodger great Steve Garvey?
Lisa “the Spaz” Lubner, and Todd with the Noogie Patrol
“FTD florist…”
No, it’s the crafty Landshark!
Razzles Gum
Bubble Up Soda
Giant Robot
Hats made from soda/beer cans and yarn
Sea Monkeys
Tennessee Tuxedo and Chumley
Wally Gator
Libby the Lion and Hardy Har Har
Big Bens Records
Woodsie Owl
Pup N Taco
Smoking allowed in grocery stores
Drinking straws with loops and turns
Fabulous Thunderbirds
Daktari
Jonny Quest
Lets Rap with Alicia
Over the Edge movie with Matt Dillon
Zots candy
Val Surf stores
Go Carts on Roscoe Blvd
Bush Gardens
Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert
Lancelot Link secret agent chimp
Mod Squad
Roller Derby Olympic Auditorium
The Waltons
Kids tv show ZOOM
The Electric Company kids show
Soul Train
Jabber Jaw cartoon
Shazam
STP stickers
Test Tube Babies
Primo Beer
Furry toilet seat lids
Cannonballing off the diving board
Pretending to get shot, and falling off the diving board into the water
Running in the deep end
Losing a hamster
Pit Burger
The Green Store 22nd & the Strand
Mickey’s on the Strand
Mr Zogs Sex Wax
Malaga Cove
Rocketship Park
Old Towne Mall
sand crabs
Grekkos
Rolling Hills Threatre
diving for money in the horseshoe @ Redondo
The Surprise Store was the BEST!!! Aaaahhh, Levis 501 Galore!
Meiji Market take out food
Naja’s- Home of 777 Beers
Arcade Under Pier
Jungle Juice
Mickey’s Big Mouth
How did we forget Six Flags Magic Mountain???
— Spin Out
— Gold Rusher
— Revolution
— Freefall
— Sarajevo Bobsled
— Jetstream
— Terrace Theatre
— Colossus backward!!!
The Eighties (band)
The Big Jerks (band)
Hermit Crab races at Brennan’s (the original turtle races)
Madame Wong’s East & West
The Fox Inn (Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica)
Monday nights at the Oarhouse (Main St, Santa Monica)
Young Robin Williams, Jay Leno and JJ Walker at the Comedy Store
Blue Jay Way
Major acts at the Roxy – Poco, Passport, Firesign
Gilbert’s El Indio (still there)
Original Santa Monica Pier
Love the list. Not to nitpick, but Sambo’s restaurants were renamed Family Sam’s, No Place Like Sam’s and The Jolly Tiger. Denny’s acquired a lot of the former Sambo’s restaurants when the chain went bankrupt. If you are hankering for Sambo’s, the original is still alive and kicking (and called Sambo’s) in Santa Barbara.
NFL team pencils – no logos, just the colors and the helmets
25-cent football helmets from the grocery store vending machines
Buying Star Wars figures from MERVYN’S and ZODY’S
Actually getting together with your friends in the neighborhood, walking to the PARK and playing baseball all day
“Dodge Colt 5 by 5… front wheel drive”
Socco, handball and tetherball
Corona t-shirts
Max Headroom
“Believe in us, we’re Music Plus!”
“oooh, you’re ‘moted!”
PacMan cards
Freddy Snakeskin, April Whitney, Roland West
Lucky rabbit’s foot
Gee, your hair smells terrific!
She told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on and so on and so on…
I can’t believe you guys saved the Pet Rock© for me! Thanks!
This is a vague memory. But did they show the movies The Great Race (with Tony Curtis), The Wizard of Oz and/or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang every Thanksgiving night?
→ Carpeteria commercial!
→ Phil & Jim’s commercial!
→ Hubba Bubba commercial!
→ Federated Group commercial!
“Equis e te ere a, Tijuana, Mexico!” (XETRA, the Mighty 690)
More California flashbacks here!
Elton John at Dodger Stadium in ’75. My mom took my sisters, but said I was too young.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkagh0x4bRM
All those great Pacific Drive-in theaters with the great screen artwork; the Spanish dancer at the El Monte drive-in, the Viking ships at the Compton drive-in. The awesome Ontario Motor Speedway alongside the 10 fwy. All the great landmarks along the 5 fwy on the way to Disneyland. You knew you were getting close when you saw the Nabisco factory and the large unisphere next to the fwy. Garvey, Lopes, Russell, Cey and those great Topps baseball cards. The massive selection of model kits at Sears, Zody’s, and most retail stores. Seeing Hot Wheels redlines on clearance. Hey Uncle Rico, let me borrow your time machine, if not, I’ll ask Rod Taylor.
Tower Records
Knott’s Berry Farm – when it didn’t have an admission …
Cal Stores
The Original Jax Donuts …
Magic Mountain was just that before Six Flags bought them …
Gazzari’s
The Roxy
Pretty Boy Floyd, Warrant, Menace, Tough ‘Z Nuff, Saigon Rocks
The Troubador
Chuck Westin’s Country Club
The Whisky
the banana splits
rosewood cementary
Douglas hamburgers maywood cali
click klaks
lowriders on whittier blvd
the huge sears tower
courduroy pantys
gemco
feeling 7up baseball commercial w/ reggie jackson
psychedelic trips head shop atlantic ave maywood
skateboarder magazine
the pike
art on the walls of estrada courts
Earl Scheib, Cal Worthington, and Zachary All!
Wow, quite a list. I got here while on a search for the Lake Dolores ’80s commercial. Remember that place? LoL
Anyways, I’ll have to contribute to this never-ender myself. Be back soon. Great stuff. =)
Have we forgotten Jane? And her, uh, habit. Wish I’d seen them at the Palladium in 90 or 91. This is 80s though, so it counts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Ia1Ed6ohM&feature=PlayList&p=C443A4050B97DA87&index=31
Did I not submit a list already? I coulda sworn…anyways, always a good read. I’ll have to resubmit..
I’m considering upgrading to the Commodore 64.
— Moskatel’s
— This is Bob Starr saying rise and shine!
I’ll keep on adding, but here’s some for now:
Arcade Life:
– Saving your place in line on an arcade game by putting your quarter in the ledge of the game’s marquee (I’ve seen as many as 5-7 quarters)
– Using the “pencil lever” hack on Track N’ Field to go real fast
– Trying to come up with cool or perverse 3-letter words to immortalize your high score on an arcade game (i.e., FUK, DIK, SUK, FAG…)
– Drooling over “Dragon’s Lair” when it first appeared in the arcade (holy crap! Animation!)
– Hearing the signature “starting line” sound of Pole Position in the ambient arcade noise
Groceries & Shopping:
– Having to group all the food items to make it easier for the cashier (all campbell soups together, etc.), otherwise they’d give you dirty looks
– The infamous “Generic” isle filled with all bright yellow packaging (or Albertson’s with their blue and white motif)
– Using Blue Chip Stamps
– Putting your bike upside down in front of the store/library/arcade with zero worries that anyone would steal it (worked in my neighborhood, at least)
– Buying a dozen day-old donuts from Alpha Beta for just $1.99
Lingo (early ’80s):
— “Scraaaaatch!”
— “Moded corroded your booty exploded”
— “Shine!”
Dude, “moded corroded your teacher’s butt exploded” was something I was thinking about the other day.
These are classic. All of ’em! DIK, ASS, SUK…
Keep going.
On the playground:
– Mastering (or trying to master) all the cool moves in handball: “Slicies,” “Waterfalls,” “Cross-Countries,” “Over the Rainbows”…and dreading the “girlie” moves that made handball easier and less competitive—”tea parties” or “bouncies” (where you could set the ball up with an extra bounce). There would be a debate before the game began, where students shouted what was and wasn’t allowed. Girls always shouted “bouncies” and the boys would say “hell no!” …in turn the girls would walk away and do something else for recess, which left the boys to some cut-throat handball sessions. I blogged about this years ago…gotta revive it somehow. =)
– playing “Butts Up”…or better yet…”Suicide” …dogging your friend when you shout “relay” then purposely not catching the ball so they get jacked up running to the wall.