The concept behind the Monkees sitcom, which aired on NBC between 1966 to 1968, was a madcap rock band, based loosely on the Beatles video style as seen in a “Hard Days Night” and “Help."  They were to be strictly a studio band with professional musicians and songwriters creating their songs (“Pleasant Valley Sunday” by Carole King), (“I’m a Believer” by Neil Diamond) all coordinated by Don Kirshner a renowned rock producer.

Problem…The Monkees thought they were a real band, and in 1967 escaped from their contract with Kirshner and shot to stardom ... just like real bands do.

Don Kirshner made a comeback, in 1968, producing the “Archie Show” for TV.  This time the characters were a fictional cartoon band and they immediately charted the Billboard number one hit, of 1969, “Sugar Sugar”.  Kirshner celebrated with a great quote: “I finally found a group that won’t talk back to me.”

Travel back to 1971 and learn about the stories behind songs like, "Sugar Sugar" and a cornucopia of rock sounds from the country-tinged songs of John Denver to the romantic soul stylings of Barry White.

This episode includes the stories behind songs like:

1. “Rock Me Gently” - Andy Kim
2. “I Honestly Love You” - Olivia Newton John
3. “Then Came You” - The Spinners
4. “I’ve Been Searching So Long” - Chicago
5. “Call On Me” - Chicago
6. “Hooked On A Feeling” - ABBA
7. “Sunshine On My Shoulders” - John Denver
8. “Annies Song” - John Denver
9. “The Most Beautiful Girl” - Charlie Rich
10. “You’re My First, My Last, My Everything” - Barry White
11. “Kung Fu Fighting” - Carl Douglas
12. “Cats In The Cradle” Harry Chapin

We know you're going to enjoy this episode! It's based on the music and stories of three major Hollywood productions produced by Robert Stigwood, a fellow Australian and manager of The Bee Gees. Saturday Night Fever. Grease. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

You'll find yourself tapping your toes and clapping hands along with music by The Bee Gees, John Trabolta, Olivia Newton John, Frankie Valli, Peter Frampton and Andy Gibb, as well as a few surprises.

Climb aboard The Music Time Machine as we return to 1978 and tell the stories behind some of history's most memorable movies and soundtracks.  Enjoy the Trip.

Some of the songs you'll hear in this episode include:

• Night Fever

• Staying Alive

• If I Can't Have You

• Emotion

• Love Is Thicker Than Water

• How Deep Is Your Love

• I Just Want To Be Your Everything

• Grease

• Hopelessly Devoted to You

• You're The One That I Want

• Summer Nights

• Let's Get Physical

• Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

• With or Without You

• Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

f you’re old enough to remember 1978, and you lived in a northern clime, you probably remember one of the coldest winters in history. But, no matter where you lived back then, you most certainly remember The Bee Gees, three brothers from Down-Under who turned the music world upside down.

Today we’re turning The Music Time Machine clock back to 1978, a big year for The Bee Gees and, probably, lots of people like you.

In this podcast episode we look at The Bee Gees’ career from their start as a grade school singing group to placing five of their songs on the Billboard 100 … at the same time!

Join us on a toe-tapping tour of some of the most memorable, enjoyable and singable music from the soundtrack of our life.

Here are some of the songs from this episode that you may remember:

• Night Fever

• Staying Alive

• If I Can’t Have You

• Emotion

•. Love is Thcker Than Water

•. Shadow Dancing

•. How Deep Is Your Love

• Grease

• You’re The One That I Want

• New York Mining Disaster

• Massachusetts

• I Started a Joke

• Holiday

•. To Love Somebody

• I Gotta Get A Message To You

• Hopelessly Devoted To You

• Summer Nights

• Hair

• I Don’t Know How to Love Him

• How Can You Mend A Broken Heart

• Nights On Broadway

• You Should Be Dancing

Robert Burns famously wrote about “Mice and Men” in his 1785 poem “To A Mouse” saying “The best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry.”

The famed music festival that took place in 1969 at Yasgur’s Farm near Woodstock, had little in common with Scotland’s own Bobby Burns, except for how many things did, indeed, “go oft awry.”

This is the subject of our latest podcast delving into all the interesting backstage happenings that played an important role in defining 1969 as the “Summer of Love.”

Join us as we discuss whose careers took off because of this history-making concert and share some of the iconic songs that helped tell the story.

Here are some of the songs we discuss in this episode of The Music Time Machine:

• Woodstock - Joni Mitchell

• Somebody to Love - Jefferson Airplane

• With a Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker

• The Weight - The Band

• And When I Die - Blood, Sweat & Tears

• Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - Crosby, Stills & Nash

• Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

• The Star Spangled Banner – The Jimi Hendrix Experience

If you remember the year 1974, you probably remember Henry Aaron circling the bases as he broke Babe Ruth’s 45 year old career home run record. But, this was also the year Paul and Linda McCartney lost the original demo tape of “Band On The Run” to a robber with a knife. That’s just one of the stories that made 1974 such a memorable year.

Join us as we remember artists like Jim Croce, Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight. Don’t forget “the Pips.”

Here are some of the songs that formed the soundtrack of your life in 1974:

• Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce

• You’re 16 - Ringo Starr

• The Way We Were - Barbra Streisand

• Feel Like Making Love - Roberta Flack

• The Night Chicago Died - Paper Lace

• Until You Come Back to Me - Aretha Franklin

• Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me - Gladys Knight and the Pips

• Come and Get Your Love - Redbone

• Band On The Run - Wings

• You Make Me Feel Brand New - Stylistics

• Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot

• Please Come to Boston - Dave Loggins

• Billy, Don’t be a Hero - Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods

Vietnam is over and 1979 was a transitional year, trying to leave the anger behind. Love was in the air … and on the airwaves.

In this episode we cover the musical hits we enjoyed during the last third of 1979. Most of all we delve into the stories behind those hits.

Think back to what you were doing in late 1979. Were you heading back to school? Starting a new job? Preparing to pop the question to someone you loved? Or hoping you’d find love. Whatever you were doing, the soundtrack to your life was a melting pot of different artists and creative styles. Disco. Village People. Chic Sister Sledge, The Pointer Sisters, Anne Murray. Dionne Warwick. Olivia Newton-John, The Eagles. Styx. Toto. Rupert Holmes and more.

With the divisiveness of Vietnam finally behind us, the music scene became a hodgepodge with no seeming sense or symmetry. But, everything felt a lot lighter, and the music of the day filled the airwaves with love.

Pull up a chair and join us as we relive a special time in your life and ours, on The Music Time Machine podcast. Here's some of the many hits we discuss in this episode:

• Oh Boy - Buddy Holly
• Oh Donna - Richie Valens
• Le Freak - Chic
• Good Times - Chic
• We Are Family - Sister Sledge
• YMCA - Village People
• Gold - John Stewart
• Fire - Pointer Sisters
• I Just Fall In Love Again - Anne Murray
• My Sharona - The Knack
• I'll Never Love This Way Again - Dionne Warwick
• A Little More Love - Olivia Newton-John
• The Devil Went Down to Georgia - Charlie Daniels
• Heartache Tonight - Eagles
• Don't Bring Me Down - ELO
• What You Won't Do For Love - Bobby Caldwell
• Babe - Styx
• Hold the Line - Toto
• Escape - Rupert Holmes

This episode includes music selections from the following artists: 

• Too Much Heaven - The BeeGees

• Islands In The Stream - Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton

• Sail On - The Commodores (with Lionel Ritchie)

•. Still - The Commodores (with Lionel Ritchie)

• I Just Want to Stop - Gino Vanelli

• After the Love is Gone - Earth, Wind & Fire

• Boogie Wonderland - Earth, Wind & Fire

• We’ve Got Tonight - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

• She Believes In Me - Kenny Rogers

• You’ve Got to Know When to Hold ‘Em - Kenny Rogers

What were you doing in 1979? Getting married? Looking for someone special? Listening to the music enjoyed by an older sibling? Graduating school? Whatever was happening in your life, chances are artists like the Doobie Brothers, Gloria Gaynor, Barbara Streisand or Neil Diamond was providing the background music. This episode includes intriguing stories about all of them, and more,.