Blue Skies in Camelot: An Alternate 60's and Beyond
- Thread starter President_Lincoln
- Start date
Not to be rude, and this is not my thread, but have you searched the thread for those names to find out any mentions of them as I am sure a good chunk have come up before.
Has anybody here heard of Jan Švankmajer before? I’ve just watched a Cinemassacre video about him, and wonder what he might be like TTL.
AeroTheZealousOne
Monthly Donor
On the topic of the 1970s and 1980s and their aesthetics, I discovered a fun little widget last night letting you watch select YouTube videos set in certain years on a decade-themed television set. There's one each for the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s.
The downside is there are few to no alternate history applications, but nonetheless a fun way to waste my time during these strange times, though I won't be spending all day with it of course.
Might be nice to get a feel for the eras if any of you wanted pop culture inspiration of sorts. I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the 1970s unfold and the 1980s as well!
The downside is there are few to no alternate history applications, but nonetheless a fun way to waste my time during these strange times, though I won't be spending all day with it of course.
Might be nice to get a feel for the eras if any of you wanted pop culture inspiration of sorts. I'm looking forward to seeing how the rest of the 1970s unfold and the 1980s as well!
Joe Biden - Currently the junior U.S. Senator from Delaware. A moderate to conservative Democrat, Biden is flirting with jumping to the GOP if Udall's progressive faction continues to dominate. I cover his current activities in more detail in Chapter 112.
Donald Trump - After being sued in the early 70's by the Edward Brooke-led Justice Department for breaking the Civil Rights Act of 1968 by discriminating against black tenants, the Trump brand suffered a public relations setback. As the 70's wear on, Donald has been named President of the company by his father. As of 1978, Trump's current project is the renovation of the derelict Commodore Hotel in Manhattan. His character and activities thus far are essentially the same as OTL.
Howie Hawkins - Working as an activist and Union organizer in the San Francisco Area. Hawkins was never drafted ITTL, so he never served in the Marine Corps. On the subject of the draft, President Udall formally abolished the peacetime draft in one of his first acts as President in 1977.
Ann Rule - Working as a true-crime detective story writer in Seattle. She never had a close relationship/interaction with Bundy ITTL, due to his early capture and career in State politics before that.
Jeb Bush - As per OTL, currently working in Caracas, Venezuela for the Texas Commerce Bank, run by the family of his father's White House Chief of Staff, Jim Baker. He is working to open a new operation for the bank there. Because of Dubya's experiences as a POW and marriage to Hillary Rodham, Jeb is the Bush sibling most interested in inheriting their father's legacy. Though he has not entered politics yet, expect such a turn sometime in Jeb's future. Dubya swore off politics, and is instead finding work as a junior level executive at Lockheed Martin in Bethesda, Maryland.
Carole King - Still enjoying a successful music career, as per OTL. Her output is still slowing down into the late 70's, but she currently has no plans on retiring.
@President_Lincoln Did Udall also abolish selective service registration ITTL?
He did not! A good question, @Pokemon Master. Despite his very peaceful attitude toward foreign affairs (and obviously zero plans to interfere in foreign conflicts), President Udall still understands the potential benefit to having a pool of manpower available to call up for service in case of a national emergency. Similar to OTL, men must still register with the Selective Service System after their 18th Birthday. That being said, the military draft of citizens in peacetime is over.
What happened to George Lincoln Rockwell and his Nazi Party? He wasn't assassinated like OTL since he was mentioned beyond 1967.
Darn. Could it become an issue in the coming years (probably much later on in the timeline)?
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This talk about nostalgia and appreciation for past aesthetics and pop culture reminds me of one of my first posts on this thread, where I said that my 'favourite decade' was the 2000s. Admittedly I could have expanded a bit more on why I personally thought that, which I would probably say that, like Lincoln and Kennedy here, it was mostly due to the aesthetic and what exactly came out during that time. Alot of my favorite music bands started in the 2000s (Pop, rock, indie, folk, and electronic are among my favorites), some of my favorite movies came out in the 00s , including some ones from my childhood, and quite a few internet creators I really enjoy today got started in the Double Zeros.
Of course, like any decade, they weren't perfect, I won't deny that. It's just that if I had to pick a decade that I felt the closest to, I would most likely pick the Noughties.
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I for one can't wait since it means I have the excuse needed to work a bit more on my TTTE supplement.
Highly pedantic of me, but just want to point out that Lockheed didn’t merge with Martin Marietta until the mid 1990s
With the demise of the "American Conservative" Party in 1970, Rockwell stepped down from Congress and returned to relative obscurity, running the newest incarnation of his American Nazi Party until his eventual passing in the early 1990's. Unfortunately, Rockwell's time in Washington would be much mythologized by far-right movements in the United States, especially in the wake of his death in '93. As for the American Nazi Party, like the KKK and other hate groups, their membership would continue to decline over the decades. As of 1978, their biggest "annual events" are small marches in isolated southern cities, and even these usually attract large counter-protests from empowered African-American communities, a surviving progressive counterculture, and other groups.
After being defeated by Hugh Carey in his reelection bid for Governor in 1974, Jim Buckley, now a much praised conservative icon, has become a senior policy adviser to his close personal friend, former Vice President Ronald Reagan. Though Reagan has not yet announced his candidacy for 1980, many take it as a matter of course at this point. Buckley wants to be there to try and help Ronnie win the thing. For the four years in between, he served as a lobbyist in Washington for various conservative causes, and wrote a column for his brother's National Review.
Thank you for the correction!
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Pop Culture 1977
Pop Culture in 1977 - Disco Inferno
Above: John Travolta as Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever, the John Badham directed film which would come to be the definitive cinematic tribute to the Disco era.
Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 Singles of 1977 (Top Ten):
- “Dancing Queen” - ABBA
- “Margaritaville” - Jimmy Buffet
- “Heroes” - David Bowie
- “Southern Nights” - Elvis Presley
- “The Things We Do for Love” - 10cc
- “Best of my Love” - The Emotions
- “Evergreen (Love theme from A Star is Born)” - Olivia Newton-John
- “Rich Girl” - Hall & Oates
- “The Gambler” - Kenny Rogers
- “Barracuda” - Heart
News in Music
January 1st - Legendary Punk band the Clash headline the opening night of London’s only punk rock club, the Roxy.
January 6th - After releasing only one single for controversial English rock band the Sex Pistols, EMI terminates its contract with them following the band’s “disruptive” behavior in public. They are quickly scooped up by the Paul McCartney-led Apple Records, who begin to try to capitalize on punk’s “underground” popularity. The contract signing ceremony, organized by “senior talent scout” John Lennon is held outside of Buckingham Palace, where an impromptu concert is also held despite the winter chill.
February 4th - American band Fleetwood Mac release their legendary album Rumors. It will go on to become one of the highest selling and most critically acclaimed rock records of all time.
February 14th - The B-52’s perform their first concert at a college party in Athens, Georgia.
February 15th - Sid Vicious replaces Glen Matlock as the bassist of the Sex Pistols.
April 22nd - Pink Floyd opens the North American leg of their Animals tour to massive success and critical acclaim.
April 24th - Joan Baez, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, and Townes Van Zandt headline a free concert for nearly 700 inmates of California’s Soledad Prison.
April 26th - New York City’s Studio 54, arguably the heart of the disco genre, opens.
May 29th - Elvis Presley releases “Southern Nights”, a highly successful single which seems to mark a change in direction of his sound toward a more country-influenced direction. Over the next several years, Presley would fade somewhat from the active music scene as he spent more of his time and energy on raising his daughters with his wife, Ann Margret.
June 7th - The Sex Pistols are arrested in London after interrupting Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee celebrations by performing their version of “God Save the Queen” from a boat on the River Thames. Privately, Paul McCartney questions John Lennon on his decision to sign the band.
June 22nd - KISS are elected “the most popular band in America” by a Gallup poll.
June 26th - Elvis Presley receives a plaque from RCA, commemorating his “two billionth” pressing from singles sales in his career. To celebrate, the King embarks on a tour of the US and Europe. It will be his final international tour for the next fifteen years.
July 9th - Donna Summer’s hit record “I Feel Love” is released in the UK; it is the first hit record to have an entirely synthesized backing track, portending a future trend in popular music.
August 20th - NASA's unmanned Voyager 2 probe is launched. It carries a golden record containing sounds and images representing life and culture on Earth, including the first movements of J. S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Guan Pinghu's Liu Shui, played on the guqin, and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode". President Udall jokes in a statement at its launch, that “he hopes anybody listening up there likes Rock N Roll as much as we do.”
September 29th - New York song-smith Billy Joel releases The Stranger, a classic album featuring such songs as “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)”, “Just the Way You Are”, and “Only the Good Die Young”.
October 20th - American Rock Band Lynyrd Skynyrd count their lucky stars as they narrowly avoid a plane crash over rural Mississippi when the pilot of their private jet notices a lack of fuel and pitches an emergency landing in Jackson. The event would later inspire the band’s song “Flyin’ High”.
October 27th - British punk band the Sex Pistols release Never Mind the Bullocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols on Apple Records. Despite the refusal of most major UK retailers to stock it, the album debuted at number one on the UK album charts. John Lennon felt very justified indeed for his faith in the punk movement.
October 29th - Also at Apple, British rock band Queen released News of the World, containing the immortal songs “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions”.
December 13th - While on tour in the Midwest to promote his recent album Cat Scratch Fever, “the Motor City Madman” Ted Nugent is killed instantly when his tour bus careens off the road during a snowstorm near Sandusky, Ohio. The rock world mourns the loss of a talented guitar player and songwriter. Tragically enough, it was his 29th birthday.
RIP Ted Nugent
(December 13th, 1948 - December 13th, 1977)
December 14th - Saturday Night Fever is released in the United States, bringing disco music to the forefront of the American pop cultural landscape.
December 22nd - After much anticipation and delay due to the untimely passing of lead guitarist Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones release Hand of Fate, their thirteenth studio album and the first with former Led Zeppelin member Jimmy Page on lead guitar. Largely seen as a “fitting tribute” to their founding member and dear friend, Richards, Hand of Fate amplified the band’s hard rock credentials and showcased a heavier sound, inspired largely by Page’s solos and occult-inspired lyrics. To promote the record, the Stones announced a new world-wide tour, which would also feature co-headliners The Who, who were now backed by fellow former Zeppelin member John Bonham on drums.
1977 in Film - The Year’s Biggest
Star Wars - Space Opera. Directed and written by George Lucas, starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Toshiro Mifune, and Orson Welles. (As Star Wars has already been covered in its own chapter, I will be brief here). Shattering the record for biggest blockbuster of all time, set two years prior by Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, Star Wars took the world by storm in 1977, exploding onto an unsuspecting world and redefining major motion pictures as we know them. Rooted deeply in Joseph Campbell’s Hero of a Thousand Faces and the Hero’s Journey archetype, Star Wars became a sort of myth or fairy tale for the modern age. It also became a major cash cow for Lucas and Fox, who instantly green-lit Lucas’ request for a sequel, set for release in 1980.
Smokey and the Bandit - Road action/Comedy. Directorial debut of stuntman Hal Needman. Starring Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Jackie Gleeson, and Jerry Reed. A fun, lighthearted and action packed tale of two bootleggers trying to smuggle their beer from Texas to Atlanta in 28 hours or less, this film started its life as a low-budget B movie and passion project for country musician Jerry Reed. After Presley, then one of the top box office draws in the world and a close friend of Reed's, read the script, he brought the production value up considerably. Its theme song, “Eastbound and Down” would be written and released by Reed, becoming his biggest hit and signature song. The film was a major box office smash, being beaten only by the gargantuan Star Wars for highest grossing film of ‘77.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Science Fiction. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Teri Garr, and François Truffaut. Arguably one of the most influential and breathtaking blockbusters in cinematic history, Spielberg’s tribute to the UFO culture of his childhood and interest in extraterrestrials (a theme he would revisit in future films) would make Close Encounters the third highest grossing film of the year, snag John Williams yet another Academy Award for his amazing score, as well as another for the film for cinematography. This film, preceded by Jaws in ‘75 and succeeded by Superman in ‘78 cemented Spielberg as the new “sure thing” in Hollywood hit making.
Eraserhead - Experimental body horror. Written, directed, produced, and edited by David Lynch. Starring Jack Nance and Charlotte Stewart. The first of many films from the man who would come to be known as “the first popular surrealist”, Eraserhead was the result of Lynch’s years at the American Film Institute (AFI). Inspired by the director’s readings of Franz Kafka’s "The Metamorphosis", a Bible verse chosen at random (Lynch claims to not be able to remember which one), and his own precarious experiences as a new father, the film was not a commercial success upon its initial release, but over the years it would develop a following as a cult classic and give Lynch the credibility he needed to work on other projects.
News in Television and Film, Throughout the Year
The 50th Academy Awards - April 3rd, 1978 - Hosted by Bob Hope
Best Picture: Star Wars
Best Director: Woody Allen - Anhedonia
Best Actor: John Travolta - Tony Manero, Saturday Night Fever
Best Actress: Diane Keaton - Annie Hall, Anhedonia
Best Supporting Actor: Leonard Nimoy - Julia as Dashiell Hammett
Best Supporting Actress: Vanessa Redgrave - Julia as Julia
Best Original Screenplay: Star Wars by George Lucas
Best Adapted Screenplay: Julia by Alvin Sargent, based on the novel Pentimento by Lillian Hellman
January 15th - Bill Murray, a Chicago, Illinois native, joins the cast of Saturday Night Live, replacing Chevy Chase who left the previous year. In his inaugural appearance on the show, Murray would earn props for his “folksy”, often deadpan impression of President Udall, whom he often portrayed as the put upon every man amidst the “intrigue” of Washington life. Udall was incredibly taken with Murray's (admittedly kind) impersonation and became the first President to meet his SNL impersonator, doing so at the 1979 White House Correspondents' Dinner.
January - Roots, a miniseries based on Alex Haley’s 1976 novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family airs on ABC to massive viewership, commercial success, and critical acclaim. The series tells the story of one Black family’s history in colonial America and subsequently, the United States through the end of the Civil War. It would boast the second most watched finale in television history, and set the standard for mini-series as a format for years to come.
January 31st - The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries premieres on ABC. The series alternated between the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew each week, and made for a fun mystery series for kids and teens.
February 27th - Fed up with images of “excessive sex and violence on television”, the Reverend Donald Wildmon declares “Turn Off the TV Week”. He is largely ignored.
March 11th - Sesame Street broadcasts its 1,000th episode.
May 4th - Star Wars hits theaters, shattering box office records and giving rise to the pseudo-holiday “Star Wars Day” from the phrase “May the Fourth be with you.”
June 22nd - Walt Disney Productions release Scruffy, an adaptation of Paul Gallico’s novel which centered on the barbary macaques of Gibraltar, with their honorary leader, called Scruffy (and voiced by Bob Newhart). The apes live happy and free, until they are threatened by Nazi Germany, who attempt to take Gibraltar from the British Empire during World War II. Ultimately a heartwarming, family friendly take on surviving Axis persecution, Scruffy would be a modest success for the company and encourage Disney to return more full time to making full-length animated pictures.
September 14th - A tube-top clad woman named Rhonda Stevens is called into contestants’ row on the CBS Game Show The Price is Right. While running down the aisle to the podium, her breasts popped out of her shirt. The incident would be censored before audiences at home could see, but it would be a memorable moment in pop culture for years to come.
October 24th - A new Peanuts special, It’s Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown, airs on CBS. It shows and names “Heather”, the Little-Red-Haired-Girl, thereupon ending the “mystery” of Charlie Brown’s crush.
Throughout the Year - The average cost of a Movie ticket in the U.S. was $2.25.
1977 in Sport
Super Bowl XI - “America’s Cinderella Team”, the New England Patriots win a major upset over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings, coached by Bud Grant. In the first Super Bowl ever to go into overtime, Pats quarterback Steve Grogan won the game for his team with a daring “Hail Mary” pass to wide receiver Marlin Briscoe. With a final score of 28 - 21, Super Bowl XI would go down in history as one of the closest, most competitive, and best received of all time. The image of the underdog Pats celebrating after their upset victory would be cheered all over New England.
Baseball
AL East:
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Detroit Tigers
Cleveland Indians
Milwaukee Brewers
Toronto Blue Jays
AL West:
Kansas City Royals
Texas Rangers
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
California Angels
Seattle Pilots
Oakland Athletics
NL East:
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
St. Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Montreal Voyageurs
New York Mets
NL West:
Los Angeles Dodgers
Cincinnati Reds
Houston Colts
San Francisco Giants
San Diego Padres
Atlanta Braves
World Series - Led by Catcher Thurman Munson, second baseman Willie Randolph, rookie phenom and eventual all-time stolen base leader, Rickey Henderson in left field, and their legendary right fielder Reggie Jackson (aka “Mr. October”), the New York Yankees would defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers, four games to three. This year’s playoff race was especially meaningful for New York. As the city suffered through the worst heat wave in years, the lingering effects of their financial collapse and near bankruptcy, the Son of Sam killings, and thousands of municipal layoffs, Jackson and his Yanks were able to rally the city behind them and provide hope as they clawed their way into the play offs and then, the Championship. In a year of feel good sports stories, this was one of the best. This would also be batting coach Joe DiMaggio’s final year with the Dodgers before his retirement to a quiet life with wife Marilyn Monroe and their adopted son, Percy. Upon returning to New York, the Bronx Bombers were greeted with a massive parade by Mayor Herman Badillo.
NBA Finals
The Philadelphia 76’s defeat the Portland Trail-Blazers 4 games to 2.
Hockey
The Stanley Cup - Montreal Canadiens defeat the Boston Bruins 4 games to 0.
Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: Chairman Hu Yaobang of the People’s Republic of China. A dedicated reformer and ardent anti-Maoist, Chairman Hu’s rise to leadership in the wake of Zhou Enlai’s passing showed the west that the PRC was serious about economic liberalization. It also portented the possibility of political reform, though the West wasn’t holding its breath on that just yet.
Other Headlines Throughout the Year
The release of the Atari 2600 in the United States is a tremendous success.
The United States Senate voted (68 - 32) to Return Control of the Panama Canal to Panama on December 31st, 1999.
Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her Indian National Congress won big in the March General election.
President Mo Udall signs an official pardon for all draft dodgers during the Cambodian and Rhodesian Conflicts, and officially ends the peacetime draft.
The Medal of Freedom is posthumously awarded to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Last Ever Execution by Guillotine is performed in France.
French Becomes the Official Language of Quebec as Canadian Prime Minister Robert Stanfield helps ease tensions between Anglo-phone and Franco-phone Canadians. He celebrates with the Canadiens Hockey team after they win the Stanley Cup. This marks the beginning of the decline of the popularity of Quebecois nationalism.
Next Time on Blue Skies in Camelot: The Coal Miners' Strike of 1978; Or, How Mo Udall Became Labor's Best Friend
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Nice pop culture update. Hope Nancy what'shername isn't murdered, or, if she is, that Sid isn't accused of her murder. So, Spielberg does Superman? Nice!.
If anybody is interested, Wikipedia has an excellent list of events for 1977 for Downunder.