Retroguy's Wonderland

After a hard week of school or navigating through cubicle hell, it's nice to know you can reach back to the classics of a simpler time to get you into the right mood for the coming weekend. Allow me to create that mood for you right now. First up, Rene & Angela's "I'll Be Good" which is the embodiment of all things good about 80's R&B. Released in 1985 by this former husband and wife duo, it peaked and number 4 on the U.S. R&B charts but remains one of my prized possessions on pristine 12" vinyl. Next up is a classic from 1979 by the Brothers Johnson. This band was made up of a bunch of brothers and a cousin who had originally played for the likes of Billy Preston, The Supremes and were Quincy Jones main go to guys for a time. "Stomp" was released in 1979 and shot to number 1 on both the U.S. Dance and R&B charts. The group had an on again off again relationship over the years and still perform from time to time and recently team...

Many modern video games today center around blasting the bajeezus out of some poor soul, be it human or zombie. Back in 1984, Nintendo released Duck Hunt that had players blasting the bajeezus out of ducks. Same bajeezus, different targets. Duck Hunt was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and players used a NES Zapper which was basically a light rifle. Ducks appeared one or two at a time and players shot them for points and the admiration of their faithful canine which for some reason was officially nameless. They name plumbers, hedgehogs, ghosts, goblins and countless other mind numbingly dumb characters but a cute dog with an annoying laugh..........nada. Can't think of a thing. I'm sure nobody noticed. Players also had the option of shooting clay pigeons in another mode that got increasingly difficult as you moved up the levels. Today's retro arcade classic won't be a popular one amongst PETA pals though I can say no video ducks were actually hurt d...

If you've ever argued with a friend about what gaming console came out first, the Atari 2600, the Odyssey 200 or the Intellivision, you're either a true hardcore gamer or have waaaaaaaaay too much time on your hands. Either way, no need to argue any longer. Click the pic of the bitchin' PacMan ring to see the definitive collection of all gaming consoles from the original Odyssey to the Nintendo Wii. Click the console of your choice for a quick overview and details. Amazing how far we've come. Hard to believe there was a time when you had to tape color foils over your black and white TV to get a color burst to add more excitement while you played your games leaving gummy residue all over the screen which all parents loved. Now, all you have to do is reach for your phone to play in full color with people from around the world. You young'uns have all the neat toys.

Man the news is full of depressing stuff and the weather (in most parts of the world - at least my part of the world) currently blows. This makes it tough to inspire yourself to get out of bed in the morning rather than curl up in a corner sobbing in the fetal position. With that in mind, here's a way back track that always puts a smile on my face and was (and is) a sure fire crowd pleaser to all the retro lovers and even the non-believers. How can you go wrong with the late, great Barry White? Even his worst track was pretty damn good! This gem is from 1974 and still holds up well. Happy Friday everyone - spring is just around the corner!

If you grew up in the late 60s, 70s and 80s you probably had SpaghettiOs. As you got older you probably made the switch to something more adult like Chunky soup. Both of these were developed by Donald Goerke while working for Franco American that eventually was bought by Campbells Soup. You can't help noticing that SpaghettiOs sound eerily similar to Cheerios. (Can you say ripoff?) I wish they'd carry this theme over to other food. Still waiting for BaconO's or even PizzaO's.......mmmmmm. I digress. Sadly, Donald passed away last week and left behind a legacy of retro goodness in the form of two classic advertising catch phrases or slogans: "Uh - oh SpaghettiOs" and "Soup that eats like a meal!"

Happy New Year (albeit 14 days late!) to all the faithful Retro followers. I hope 2010 brings you nothing but good things, fuzzy retro feelings and all the joy the world has to offer.........or a cell phone with decent reception at the very least. (Another story for another time) Let's start off the 2010 posts with a glimpse into a movie coming to theatres in near future that combines all the things that make movies great - Jedis, Hobbits, Nazi Killers, light sabres, Brad Pitt and Samuel L. Motherf%#$*# Jackson. If only it were true, Avatar would be eating it's smoke as it blazed past them in the box office.