I’ve recently been going down nostalgia lane and dug out a bunch of those old bubblegum tunes from the mid to late sixties. This is the music from from my youth and after listening to these ooey gooey delights, I came to the conclusion that my earliest music obsession, the music that I credit as my greatest influence was filled with sex and sleaze barely masked in a sugary psychedelic coating. “Wang Dang Sweet Poontang” has nothing on this stuff. The Splits were tame compared to The Archies. These Riverdale teens had a group sex sing -along called “Bang Shang-A-Lang” and the bestiality anthem, “Hot Dog”. The song “Hide and Sneak” borders on promoting date rape. It doesn't stop with The Archies, no way, practically every one of my age four faves is nothing but Penthouse Forum disguised as tyke tunes. Just look at some the lyrics:
The Ohio Express's ode to oral sex is just a prime example, but it is unmatched by Pawnee Drive and the tune, “Love Tunnel.”
The Lemon Pipers were more direct. They even had an LP called Hard Core which contained the song “Jelly Jungle” and it hides very little.
There I did it. I tarnished your vision of cucumber castles on the banks of cranberry seas where the wind blows peppermint and spice. I am sorry I destroyed your faux childhood innocence. I have now made you question what really went on at Riverdale High. “Sugar Sugar” no longer is the same is it?
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