Retro Dee writes about music, fashion and other trends of the 1950s on this site. Check out her blog, Retro Dee’s Guide to the Best Era Ever here, and her column here every week.
Well folks, it looks like I finally found somewhere that plays oldies on a regular basis, besides a retro diner, that is.
The Antique Marketplace on Main Street in Plymouth plays favorites from the 50’s and 60’s while you shop. I’ve been there several times now in the four months that I’ve lived in Plymouth, and I have to say, the music just keeps getting better!
I thought I was hearing things when I first went in July and “Who Wrote The Book of Love” by the Monotones came on their sound system. After that, they played Dion and The Belmonts’ “I Wonder Why” but then the playlist switched to the mid-60’s, then (sadly) moved on to the psychedelic era. This pattern continued the next 4 or so times I came in. But by the end of September, I noticed more 50’s hits like “Come Go With Me” by the Del Vikings and “Little Darlin’” by The Diamonds.
I didn’t go back to the marketplace for a few weeks as I was moving into the condo. But this past Sunday, my Mom asked if I wanted to check it out to see if they had any MCM desks. I decided I’d wear my vintage plaid pencil skirt that used to belong to a Julie O’Neil (probably ca. mid 60’s). I figured it would make a cute Fall outfit. But the waist was too small (about 23 inches, Julie must have been TINY) and I needed to move the button over about an inch to make it bigger.
Now we all have our idiosyncrasies, and one of mine is that I can only sew while listening to Buddy Holly. No, seriously. I need to listen to Buddy Holly if I’m going to sew, otherwise I can’t do it. I think it has something to do with the fact that sewing really frustrates me, and Buddy’s voice soothes me. I don’t know. So I put some of Buddy’s stuff on You Tube and sewed the button.
The skirt still barely fits with the button moved over, and it makes me look 5 months preggers, but I covered that fact with a sweater. I put my satin Mary Jane heels on and grabbed my Laundry by Shelli Segal coat, and a mask, and off we went.
We got to the Antiques Mart at about 1:45. It’s set up the same, but somehow, it looked different from last summer. Maybe that’s because it’s so gloomy in New England in the Fall or maybe it’s because many of the vendors are offering seasonal items that weren’t there before. There were a bunch of cute vintage Santas and Christmas ornaments, but no desks or dressers, at least nothing at all what I had in mind.
But the good news is the MUSIC was great! They played “La Bamba” which is always hard not to dance to, then “Twilight Time” by the Platters. I thought I heard The Everly Brothers, but at first I figured it was my imagination. It wasn’t! I said, “Is that ‘Cathy’s Clown’ or am I just hearing things?”
Another idiosyncrasy I have is that I go nuts whenever I hear “Cathy’s Clown”. Of course this wouldn’t be so strange if I were still a teenager and it was still 1961. But it’s 2021, and I’m a woman in her 30’s… so let’s face it, it’s a little odd. This time I had to contain myself because we were in public. I could just hear Brian Griffin ask: “Is it just ‘Cathy’s Clown’ that turns you into a sniveling, swooning wanna-be teenager or is it all Everly Brothers songs?”
Right. So just when I thought Don and Phil had finished, they were back with another song, “So Sad” which is, indeed, so sad like the title suggests, but it’s too beautiful not to love. The boys showed up yet again while I was on the second floor with their 1959 hit “‘Til I Kissed You”. Then they were back with “Cryin’ In The Rain”, one of their later hits, but still one from their heyday. If you haven’t heard it, do yourself a favor and look it up. It’s beautiful.
I realized that while I was listening to the Everlys, I wasn’t even looking at the antiques. I was drifting off into a world of my own. It’s unusual that I’m distracted by anything while I’m shopping, but I guess there are more important things to me after all, and the music I love is one of them.
Don, Phil and the rest of the Malt Shop were replaced when the live band at the tavern next door began playing through the walls. The Antiques Mart turns their music OFF when New Town Tavern starts playing their gigs because it’s pointless to try to hear over it. Once I was in there thinking they were playing a Beatles album, but it was really the tribute band next door!
Before I end this, I want to remind you that you can vote for some of the songs I mentioned in this post on WCWP’s Great 88 Song Survey. The finals start THIS WEEK and The Great 88 turns 10 this year, so check it out and vote for your favorites!
Well, that’s the blog for this week. I hope you enjoyed it.
You can follow Retro Dee’s Guide to the Best Era ever here on WordPress, and you can also follow Retro Dee on Twitter @RealRetroDee and on Instagram @mariepascal82
Voting is now open in the Final Round of the 10th annual Great 88 survey. Pick your 15 favorites in each of the three polls, covering songs that were hits in 1957 and earlier, 1958-1960 and 1961-1963. You can vote daily through December 11th at 10 PM. Results will be announced during a five-hour edition of “The Grooveyard” on a special day–Sunday, December 26th starting at 7 PM.
Listen to “The Grooveyard” following “Rick’s Redneck Ranch” each Saturday night at 7 PM on 88.1 FM on Long Island or by clicking the 88.1 FM link on wcwp.org, via the TuneIn app. or the WCWP app on your iPhone or Android device. You can also follow us on Twitter.
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