Retroguy's Wonderland

It's a sad day in Retroville with the news of the passing of Doug Fieger, the American lead singer of new wave group The Knack and the co-writer of the number one track from 1979 "My Sharona" after a six year battle with cancer. Doug died on Valentine's day. Doug formed the band with three other musicians in 1978 after a few failed attempts at having a successful band. The Knack teamed up with producer Mike Chapman who was responsible for some hits by Blondie, Nick Gilder and Exile. They cut all the tracks for their first album in pretty much one take and that was what gave the album that energetic live feel. The whole album was done and ready to press in eleven days at a total cost of $18,000. It was one of the cheapest albums to ever go Platinum. It went gold just thirteen days after its release. Their biggest hit was the catchy if not annoying My Sharona from their first album. It spent six weeks at number one on the Billboard's Hot 100 in the U.S. while the a

It's Super Bowl time again and that can mean only one thing for some - salty snacks, meat, lots of booze and a huge helping of football being played for all the marbles. For others it simply means cool and innovative television ads interrupted by a bunch of guys chasing a ball on a field. Regardless which side of the fence (field?) you're on, you can't deny the creative display put on each year during the Super Bowl which this year costs a whopping $3 Million U.S. per spot. Unbelievable. Companies are banking on the exposure the commercial receives and possible buzz it generates will hopefully translate into money well spent. For a look back at the last 38 years of Super Bowl ads, click the picture of the smirking quarterback below to go to a site dedicated to showcasing some of the best television ads ever produced for Super Sunday. (Hate to say it but I think this guy will be smirking again this coming Sunday - sorry Saints, I'm rooting for you though!)