Sunday Showcase January 20, 1974

It's Sunday again, so it's time to dive into a random old Tennessean Sunday Showcase. It's 1974 and Jack Benny is one of the cover stars. There was to be a third "farewell" special to also air on NBC, but the comedian would die on December 26, 1974. 

When I was in 1st grade there was a mandatory time after lunch in which we had to put our heads on our desk and just chill out. It was like nap time, but we were too old by this point. My 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Susie Wilson, would play soft music during the time so after the song "Seasons In The Sun" was released on 45 in December 1973, we would be treated to it almost every school day. I liked it a lot even though the lyrics seem a bit heavy for a small child and now it is lodged in my brain forever. It was the number 1 song of the past week in Nashville on January 20, 1974. Once again, the quirkiness of the Nashville charts is shown as David Bowie's "Sorrow" from his Pin Ups album lands at number 8. It would not chart nationally, but Bowie played Nashville regularly in the early Seventies so he was very popular here. 

Local station WNGE 2 has a full page ad for the ABC Sunday Night Movie of the week which was to be For A Few Dollars More. I watched many of the ABC Sunday Night Movies over the years and never wanted to miss a James Bond one or a Clint Eastwood one. My mother would cook popcorn on the stove and it was the best popcorn ever made. 

I don't know what in the heck the King of Tara and Boy Wonder deal is, but it's definitely an interesting ad for an event at the Pub.

The Nashville Flea Market was coming up soon. Flea markets today aren't as much fun these days. I think the internet has greatly reduced the chance of wandering upon a flea market seller with true bargains.

The Exit/In was going strong with Henry Gross coming for a series of show from January 22-January 26. Then Tracey Nelson and Mother Earth would take over. WKDA FM 103.3 in the pre-KDF days would even broadcast live there. This is when the Exit/In was thought of as more of a "listening" room instead of just a club. 

Muther's Music Emporium over on Hermitage which had been opened by former disc jockey Joe Sullivan was another great place to see live music in Nashville in 1974. He also owned Sound Seventy Productions which around this time was clearing about $4,000 profit per average concert he promoted according to an article in the February 18, 1974 Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle. Bruce Springsteen would play Muther's a little over a week later on January 29, 1974. This show would be captured on a bootleg recording.

A big Sound Seventy Productions concert was coming up at Municipal Auditorium on February 2nd. Black Oak Arkansas with their frontman Jim Dandy would be rocking out on a Saturday night with some special guest stars to be announced. Those guests would The Marshall Tucker Band and The Charlie Daniels Band for a big night of Southern rock. 

The Royal Lipizzan Stallion Show was coming to Municipal on February 9 and 10. 

Last, but definitely not least is this ad for the upcoming Ike & Tina Tuner Revue which will play Municipal Auditorium on February 1st with the Spinners.