Blasts from the past

Those of you who are of a certain age – and I’m sure you know who you are – likely have the same problem I do. Out of nowhere, a tune from the distant past will pop into your head. But, for the life of you, you can’t remember anywhere near all of the words.
This happened to me recently with Yakety Yak. You likely know the opening lines: “Take out the papers and the trash, or you don’t get no spending cash. If you don’t scrub that kitchen floor, you ain’t gonna rock and roll no more.” And the refrain? “Yakety yak. Don’t talk back.”
Did you know that was sung by The Coasters? Somewhere along the way I had forgotten. Once prompted by the group’s name I was able to rattle off some other hits from the 1950s by the same foursome: Charlie Brown, Poison Ivy and Searchin’. Well, maybe rattle off is too strong a description. Recall may be more apt.
Other black groups from that era included The Drifters and The Platters. Am I ringing any bells? How about The Temptations and The Four Tops. Female groups were also making inroads: The Marvelettes and The Supremes.
Like Ed Sullivan on his Sunday evening TV show, when Dick Clark took over American Bandstand in 1956 he quickly made certain that black performers appeared. Chuck Berry was the first. Other black groups brought songs and dancing including The Stroll by the Diamonds in 1958 and The Twist by Chubby Checker in 1960.
Both The Twist and The Stroll were easy moves even for white guys like me. I can remember doing the Stroll as part of a gathering one morning in 1960 when some dizzy teacher brought all Grade 10 males and females together in the auditorium. I danced the The Stroll with a pretty girl named Pat who wouldn’t normally even speak to me let alone dance or go out on a date.
These days, I have a partner who dances with me and a daughter who recently gave me Apple Music. When I was stumped on Yakety Yak, I was able to turn to my iPhone, press a few keys, and hear The Coasters (remastered) from sixty years ago.
All of which leads me to say that there’s much in the past to be honoured and even more to be remembered in the present. With a little help.