70's Pick of the Week

“Where Evil Grows” by the Poppy Family (1971)

My friend Glen had this black net like a spider’s web hanging from his bedroom ceiling when we were teenagers. I remember his Mom coming downstairs (kind of like Wayne’s Mom in Wayne’s World), and saying something like, “Geezus’ Glen what the hell is all this crap hanging from the ceiling? Someone’s gonna hurt themselves.”

Glen pretty much had every Alice Cooper album that had come out at that point – and loved playing the sounds of the dentist drill on “Unfinished Sweet” on the ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ album. You have to remember that Alice was sort of the Marilyn Manson/Goth Metal of the time.

O.K. so we put away the Alice Cooper and he slaps on this funky 45 with a funny look on his face - “Where Evil Grows” by the Poppy Family. (I would like to know if anyone has any idea of how many 45’s were worn out because you could keep the arm up on the turntable and play them over and over into the ground – really.)

 Chyaaa evil produced by a band called the Poppy Family! Oh no! Run for the hills! It’s an episode of the ‘Walking Dead’ with special guests Terry and Susan Jacks.

You may have heard of “Which Way You Goiin’ Billy”, “Seasons in the Sun”, “Concrete Sea”, “If You Go Away”, and “That’s Where I Went Wrong” by Terry Jacks and/or  the Poppy Family. These are all great songs that kind of belong in the “Hip to Be Square” category as they are  all squeaky-clean, wholesome Canadian pop songs that enjoyed good radio play in Canada (largely due to CanCon¹)

Don’t get me wrong; hey I’m not one to put down music created in this country and in fact am thinking of introducing it as a category here. Actually “Which Way you Goin’ Billy” was the first ever million seller made in British Columbia. How about them apples Tim?

You know the weird thing is something happen in the crypt of Glen’s bedroom that day - I drank the red  Kool-Aide or something – to this day I love this stupid little pop ditty. Thanks Glen!

1)      Canadian Content laws did, and do require radio stations to play a certain amount of music that was at least partly written, produced, presented, or otherwise contributed to by Canadians. The controversial law of 1971 has been modified many times since – but actually requires more Canadian content than it originally did.