Recently, I was dismayed to discover a certain post in one of our prominent share blogs. Offering tracks by the legendary singing phenomenon The Young Americans, the blogger then proceeded to bite the hand that feeds him in what I can only describe as a full frontal attack.
After calling them “fucking geeks,” our blogger goes on to describe the level of his feelings of superiority over The Young Americans as “infinite,” and winds up the attack by proclaiming, “You can bet none of my kids would be caught dead standing on stage showing off their pearly whites and singing schmaltzy crap for old folks in Saticoy.” Then, after having successfully driven traffic to his site with files by these “schmaltzy fucking geeks,” he proceeds to add injury to insult (and this is where he really tears it): he offers a mere three tracks by the group — and not even my favorite three!
This is grievous wrong that demands redress.
I remember back in my youth when marauding bands of squares would roam the countryside, setting upon unsuspecting grade school auditoriums filled with hapless packs of cub scouts, either lecturing on the evils of communism (i.e. drug use) or hawking their wares. (I still have somewhere an album by a group called IMPACT, which I actually begged my mother to buy for me after their performance.) Soldiers in a cultural war, groups like The Young Americans spent the majority of the 60’s and the early 70’s on the front lines.
Founded in 1962 by former television musical director Milton C. Anderson, The Young Americans took the burgeoning “swing choir” movement to new heights, creating in their wake the “show choir” phenomenon. Embraced in their time by television entertainers and heads of state alike, the group initiated a perfect vehicle for — as they see it — entertainment that “retains its humanity” and “provides a sense of reality to their audiences.”
Their eponymous 1968 film won an academy award for best documentary that year, but it was hardly a highly lauded project. When it landed in New York City (at the bottom of a double bill with Jerry Lewis’ “Hook Line And Sinker”), Times reviewer Vincent Canby couldn’t have been more smugly condescending:
“The Young Americans” [is] a sort of middle-aged wish-think movie about that group of 36 gently integrated southern California youngsters who bus about the country singing upbeat songs like “Dixie” and “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands… The boys and girls, recruits from colleges and high schools, look like the kind who go on decency drives and seldom read books… However, for any one interested in America’s fantasy life, the movie is an absolute must.
The Young Americans claim they didn’t see the so-called “generation gap” so much as an internecine struggle between the forces of atrophy and progress. Rather, they framed the conflict as a problem facing normal teens and their parents. They prided themselves for the help they gave both sides, offering a bridge between the generation, an alternative to increasing polarization.
Whether you find this argument disingenuous or not, it could not save them. And once the battle was lost, they circled the wagons, retreated to their compound and reinvented themselves. As they gathered their followers and adapted themselves to the contemporary zeitgeist, they mounted the next wave of their ongoing crusade: THE INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM!
The Young Americans offer a small cluster of music samples on their own site, but maybe you don’t want to give them your hard-earned clicks. If that’s the case, you’re welcome to check out the three albums from my collection (provided you don’t mind enjoining the dark services of as nefarious an agency as Rapidshare).
Despite what you might have heard elsewhere, there’s actually plenty to like on these albums. “As Presented By Johnny Mathis” from 1965 is little more folk (i.e. “Americana”) than I might personally want, but both “While We’re Young” and “Time For Livin’” are sure to soothe the sunshine pop crowd for a moment or two. Their version of “Tristeza” is just fine, as is their rendition of Neil Hefti’s “Gotham City Municipal Swing Band At The Country Fair.” Cheese fans will not be disappointed by “Beautiful, Beautiful World” and “Blackberry Organ.” But you’ll just have to download the whole mess and sort it all out for yourself.
Bonus question: Just what is it about Saticoy, California that makes it so despicable?
Download three terrific albums by The Young Americans.
Lovely column. Well written and well deserved.
The cultural wars of the late 1960’s and ESPECIALLY the counter attacks by the supposed ’straights’ was incredible. Walter Brennan was making LPs, John Wayne’s America And Why I Love Her, UP With People, these are all vital (yes VITAL) artifacts to have any understanding of what the supposed ‘Swingin’ 60’s’ were about.
Barry Sadler is far truer in HIS heart and message than Barry McGuire’s cover of ‘Eve Of Destruction’ ever was, and without the vocal bluster and show-offedness.
That’s KEY in the discussion of these groups. The Young Americans, Up With People, they MEANT and FELT what they were singing one hell of a lot more than say Steppenwolf or The Mamas and the Papas. It is like it or not TRUE ‘Soul Music.’
It WAS war EVERYWHERE. The cities were burning, Viet Nam was being napalmed into ashes, and the battle lines continued to be drawn in the record bins at Sears.
In the SPECIFIC case of The Young Americans, they were also incredibly GOOD sounding records. Every note is crystal clear, the recordings are PERFECT as are the performances.
Really Bostrom, nice work.
Tom
PS Y’know, I like this page better than your Puppets site. I tend to visit this one, and THEN the Pups page as an afterthought. Nice stuff Derrick.
Thanks Tom, as always, for the kind words. I agree with you about the hierarchy of my sites. This one is a labor of love which must fight for every visitor. Folks come to the Puppets site no matter what I post. Most are just looking for guitar tabs.
This is one visitor you need not fight for. While I am certainly an appreciator/fan of the Meat Puppets - you guys were the headliners at my first real, cool, small-club show in 1989 (playing Stache’s in Columbus, OH, along with 11th Dreamday), but this site is the more interesting of the two, no doubt.
It hardly makes sense to respond to a blog a year later, but I think this deserves it.
As a member of the Young Americans in 1965-66, I greatly appreciate the sincerity and kindness of this post as much as I resent the “full frontal attack.” People have a habit of projecting their own philosophies, prejudices and opinions onto others, regardless of reality. I was very politically minded at the time, yet I can’t recall any sense of politics while I was in the group. Others may have projected politics onto us, but I am confident that this entered the minds of hardly anyone who ACTUALLY SANG in the group. We just loved singing, performing, traveling, and the company of our friends. The YAs were a dream vehicle for this experience.
Times changed, as did tastes in entertainment, and the YAs changed accordingly. But what always remained, and still does, was the opportunity for kids to have a great singing experience at a very high level. The people who have kept this group alive through thick and thin for 45 years have done a great service to thousands of kids who love to sing. I for one am most grateful for the experience and would be proud to have my children or grandchildren involved today.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Gordon.
Certainly, YA and groups like them get their share of the tar as much for being “poppy” (i.e. not resembling the Rolling Stones) as for what people infer about their politics. Unfortunately, claiming that the singers themselves did not have strong political affiliations somewhat skirts the issue if those employing the singers are doing so as part of their own agenda. For most people in this country, showing up for work is an inherently political act, whether they realize it or not.
The sad part for YA would be when their work is ignored, by both their detractors and their supporters, in favor of their possible utility as a political tool. I for one enjoy groups like these for their music as well as for what they help reveal about our culture.
I am but only an ordianry surfer and oldie at that, who found your site to read but I wish to add how much I enjoyed and truly loved the Music of the Young Americans and I still listen to them. They were young, clean-cut (thank Heaven for something claen-cut) fresh singing baladeers with much energy ‘abustin’ out of them.
Of course I have a slight agenda for having attached to their music more enthusiastically, Johnny Mathis has been my favored beloved Music Icon for more than fifty-two years now and he sings one of his most fun songs on the album, “The Young Americans Presented By Johnny Mathis.” That song that all we “Mathisers” adore is, “What’s New At The Zoo.”
Recently at the McCallum Theater in Palm Springs CA, a former member of The Young Americans was in his audience and upon leaving the theaters these days Johnny doesn’t visit with his fans but rarely but on this occasion he was told by a frend as he was leaving “That he should stop and say hello to a special person waiting there,” and so he did enthusiastically.
Now on that Full Frontal Attack article; it is clear to read that these punks are just like most youths and semi-youths these days, “If you can’t wound, moan and groan stupidly, and say something really, ugly and disgusting to get negative attention, don’t say anything.” They all think they are viable critics and all they do for the common reader is turn us off completely. I read the first line of the Ha, ha, ha’s and hee, hee-hee’s and a tad of the next line then that was more than enough for me to get the hell off that article.
But watch your back, they are massive and all over the place and we must ignore them but only untill they break the law then we go after them with gusto.
This is an interesting forum having just found this tonight. My daughter is considering being a part of YA. She was accepted after auditioning two weeks ago. We are visiting CA three weeks from now to see what is involved and what she will be doing. So far, in all of my on-line searches, I have found absolutely nothing negative about this group. I am totally impressed with what they do for kids- the opportunities to perform at these workshops is huge. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my daughter decides to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity.
As a member of Young American from 1963 until 1965, I predate the 1967 movie. However, I will echo Gordon Paine’s comment above. YA was about a lot of talented high school and junior college students who were lucky enough to find Milton Anderson and the opportunities he offered to perform music. That was obviously Milton’s mission as well. Otherwise, he would not have been responsible for the vast amount of music education produced by the whole Young American’s movement and the educational institution he founded. I have spend the last 43 years since I left the group as a professional musician, hopefully passing along a little of the enthusiasm and skill he gave all of us. Anyone who thought we were political or anything related to setting trends does not understand the kinship of musicians performing together. We were performers reveling in the challenge of working with equally talented peers. I expect most in the group continued performing long after YA. Certainly, our most notable example would be Vicki Lawrence. Thanks, Milton for all of the joy and satisfaction you gave to both performer and those who observed your product.