Some People Have Imaginary Friends.............. ....................I Had an Imaginary Band...

As I've been exploring the musical recommendations Spencer put forth, I learned that the Gorillaz are a "virtual band" and I thought this was pretty cool. Their bio is a riot and they have a hip-hop feel, but despite the funkiness of the group their sound isn't really my style. If anything the idea of a "virtual band" reminded me of one I loved as a child. The Archies. Now I am not sure one could refer to this group as really the same thing. After all, they had cartoons! I discovered the group, as a child, through a 45 record of "Sugar, Sugar" my mom had in a stash of 45s that included such songs as "So Happy Together" by the Turtles, "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" by Crystal Gayle, and "To Sir with Love" by Lulu. I loved that 45 single and was a huge fan of the flip side as well, "Melody Hill."

Still it wasn't until the Nineties when I discovered The Archies cartoon on some cable channel that I discovered the group I adored in my youth was actually THE Archies.... as in Jughead, Reggie, Archie, Betty Veronica.... I was shocked. That song was a number one hit in 1969, selling six million copies and bumping the Rolling Stones from the top of the charts in the process. And they were cartoons? How did they tour, I wondered?

I found a copy of a cd a few years ago and it has ten songs on it. I was only familiar with two or three. However, every one of them is fun. I'm sad the cd doesn't have "Melody Hill" because I can't find my 45 record anymore. However, the two cds currently available actually have tracks I don't have AND include that missing B-side. "Jingle Jangle" was also considered a hit for The Archies in 1970 but soon after their music lost it's popularity except with nerds like me. The CD I own doesn't credit the actual singers anywhere on the cover art or liner notes. However, I have since learned that two of the musicians involved in the band were Ron Dante and Andy Kim.
--Kate