July 27, 2014
New Jersey's Got Talent | Music
Many Talented Musical Performers Are From New Jersey
New Jersey has always been loaded with great talent in many different musical genres.
New Jersey has so many different kinds of music because it is a very diverse state.
You can listen to all kinds of music here, particularly with the influence of the New Jersey shore!
There is The Boss (from Freehold), Bruce Springsteen!
There is The Chairman of the Board (from Hoboken), Frank Sinatra!
There is the band Bon Jovi, formed in Sayreville!
There are the “Jersey Boys” originating in Newark - The Four Seasons!
Don't forget Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, the Pride of the Jersey Shore!
You have probably heard of all those talented performers.
But ladies and gentlemen, I now introduce to you: The Whiptones!
The Whiptones are a teenage Doo Wop acappella quartet from Whippany, New Jersey!
Whippany is a section of Hanover Township, New Jersey. I grew up in the next town.
This type of singing demands that the singers possess good voices, as there is no musical accompaniment.
The Whiptones are starting to get a lot of attention from the New Jersey/New York media.
Here they are at the recent Whippany Park High School graduation - three of them graduated, one is still a high school student.
Here they are on local television discussing singing the National Anthem at the Mets 2014 season home opener:
They auditioned several times against stiff competition for the honor of singing at the Mets home opener, and they won! They were thrilled!
Here they are:
Here are a couple more videos for you to enjoy!
Also please check out my musical post that Girls Just Want To Have Fun.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 22, 2014
Howell Living History Farm | Hopewell. New Jersey
Howell Living History Farm
Howell Living History Farm is a working farm museum located in Mercer County, New Jersey, near the Delaware River.
The farm shows visitors what farm life was like over 100 years ago.
It is a simply wonderful place to take the whole family, and basic admission and parking are free!
Some special programs may have a small fee.
There are evening hayrides, "bringing in the sheaves", corn mazes in the fall, wheat threshing, cricket walks, honey harvests and farm animals. Children may also work as farmhands!
The farm is typically open year-round, Tuesday-Saturday from 10AM to 4PM.
Please check the calendar because the farm is closed on certain days, especially on the days of evening hayrides.
If you plan to visit, the farm is technically located on Hunter Lane, Titusville, New Jersey.
The GPS address is 70 Woodens Lane, Lambertville, New Jersey.
If you are interested in living historical farms, please check out Fosterfields - A Living Historical Farm in Morristown.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 21, 2014
The Buzz Aldrin Rock | Montclair, New Jersey
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| The Buzz Aldrin Rock, Montclair, New Jersey |
The Buzz Aldrin Rock
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first two men to walk on the moon. Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of that historic feat.
Buzz was from Montclair, New Jersey, and he had attended the township schools and is probably the most famous graduate of Montclair High School.
His mother's maiden name was Marion Moon.
Yes, Moon. If you don't believe me, you can read this article about Buzz where he swears it's the truth.
The town was wildly proud of him, and in September of that year they threw a "Buzz Aldrin Day" celebration, complete with parade, and dedicated a rock in front of his lovely childhood home.
Apparently, it's not a moon rock.
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| The Buzz Aldrin Rock, Montclair, New Jersey |
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| Buzz Aldrin's childhood home, Montclair, New Jersey |
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| Buzz Aldrin's childhood home, Montclair, New Jersey |
You can also check out Positively New Jersey!
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 20, 2014
Girls Just Want to Have Fun | Music
It Was the 1980s
Back in the 1980s, there was a fresh new face on the music scene! Cyndi Lauper debuted her solo career with this instant classic!
It was so fun, fresh, and now that the day after I first saw that video I danced down to the record store in the mall and bought the album!
Yes, a vinyl record!
When my mother first heard the song she said “they had to know it would be a hit!”
"Girls Just Want to Have Fun" was written by Robert Hazard from a male point of view.
Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Cyndi changed the lyrics a little (with Hazard’s permission) and turned it into a cheerful feminist anthem about female independence and living her life by her rules!
I became a Cyndi fan immediately! I still am.
Here is the original video!
Ah, the 80s. The last fun decade.
That’s Cyndi’s real-life mom playing, well, her Mom, and wrestler Captain Lou Albano playing her Dad, and singer Steve Forbert playing her boyfriend at the end.
That ending scene has a Marx Brothers like twist, right?
It’s such a fun video and great song! Nothing better than that!
Cyndi had several other hits on her debut album and won the Best New Artist Grammy.
There is a great article on this song at The Atlantic.
The "Time After Time" Video Was Filmed In New Jersey
The biggest hit was the follow up, "Time After Time", a song that Cyndi co-wrote. This song went to number one for two weeks!
The video, of course, included many members of Cyndi's family and her friends.
The video was shot mostly in New Jersey: Roxbury Township (the now defunct Tom's Diner), Wharton (outside shots), and the train station in Morristown (got to get those Jersey plugs in!)
Cyndi is still going strong!
She won a Tony Award last year for her musical score to “Kinky Boots”!
Check out my musical post on New Jersey's Got Talent!
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 17, 2014
Great Adventure Theme Park and Rolling Thunder! | Jackson Township, New Jersey
Great Adventure and Rolling Thunder
Great Adventure is a Six Flags theme park in Jackson Township, New Jersey that opened in 1974 and still is open today.
The ride I remember most is Rolling Thunder, a wooden rollercoaster that operated from 1979-2013.
It was a sad day when it closed and was finally demolished. Rolling Thunder was so famous it even has its own Wikipedia page.
I wasn't fond of roller coasters than turned upside down which is why I preferred Rolling Thunder to Lightnin' Loops.
I do remember how Rolling Thunder would s-l-o-w-l-y climb up the tracks and poise for a breathless moment on top -- and then go racing down!
Here is a commercial for the new Rolling Thunder roller coaster in 1979!
You may also want to read about Old New Jersey Memories!
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July 15, 2014
Yurts at Allaire State Park | Wall Township/Farmingdale, New Jersey
Yurts At Allaire State Park
Traditional yurts used by nomads in Asia are usually made with felt or wool. Yurts have been adapted for camping in the United States.
Only four campgrounds in New Jersey have yurts. Allaire State Park is one of them.
These structures are made of high-tech materials. It is a circular tent built on a wood frame, featuring wood floors, a deck and Plexiglas skylight.
Each yurt has a lockable wood door, window screens and flaps, and two double-deck bunks, which sleep up to four people. Cooking facilities, water and restroom facilities are usually within walking distance.
This makes it a more practical alternative to a regular tent, which must be set up and taken down each day, not to mention that it is far more comfortable to sleep on a real bed, and to move around more freely.
I wrote about this beautiful park and its historic village with its unusual chapel and Pine Creek Railroad last year.
The park also includes camping facilities, including yurts.
To read more about Allaire State Park and its historic village, please click the link below!
Allaire State Park and Village
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 13, 2014
School's Out for Summer!
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| Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash |
School's Out!
I still remember the last day of sixth grade.
We struggled through the half-day, getting our end-of-year report cards, and waiting with anxiety for the summer to start!
Finally, our teacher smilingly said “You can go now!” and a bunch of boys went screaming out of the classroom, while the teachers laughed.
My friends and I left more slowly because my mother was picking us up. No school bus for a change! Hooray!
Almost as soon as we got in the station wagon, we turned the radio on and Alice Cooper started singing “School’s Out”!
We started singing along and then rolled down the windows of the car and shouted the lyrics out the window at all the drivers of the other cars!
Some of them smiled back at us, probably wishing they had the summer off, too.
Ah, youth.
Summer! When you are 11, it is a magic word. Barbecues, beach trips, and best of all, no school!
Yes, it was magic.
If you liked this post, please read about 5 Fun Summer Songs and 10 Things I Love About Summer.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 08, 2014
Bahrs Landing Is Still Standing | Highlands, New Jersey
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| Bahrs Landing restaurant, Highlands, New Jersey |
Bahrs Landing is a New Jersey legend
Bahrs Landing is 97 years old this year, and it amazing because it sustained considerable damage in October 2012 from Hurricane “Superstorm” Sandy, which destroyed many other businesses in the area.
It is open year-round, and the owners were determined to re-open quickly:
But somehow it survived, and it will celebrate its 100th Birthday in 2017!
We love eating there, and staring out at the water and Sandy Hook!
I love the food, especially my favorite, Peach Melba! It is so delicious. 😋
My husband heartily recommends the crab cakes. They were named the best crab cakes in New Jersey.
Right next to Bahr’s is Moby’s Lobster Deck, serving seafood and ice cream! They are open from May to October with 100% outdoor dining!
You can even take a ferry from New York City to visit and have a great meal!
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| Bahrs Landing entrance |
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| Bahrs Landing boats |
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| Bahrs Landing dock |
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| Bahrs Landing, Highlands, New Jersey |
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| Moby's Lobster Deck, Highlands, New Jersey |
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| Bahrs Landing, Highlands, New Jersey |
To read more about Bahr’s Landing and Moby’s Deck, check out their website!
To see another Jersey Shore community recovering from Sandy, check out Sea Bright Rising.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 06, 2014
Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush | Music
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| Photo by Matt Duncan on Unsplash |
Running Up That Hill
The first time I remember seeing and hearing the English singer-songwriter Kate Bush was on Saturday Night Live in 1978.
She was a bit older than me but still a teenager and she sang very well and I thought she was talented in a quirky way.
I'd never seen anything quite like it before and I didn't know what to make of her. However, I was very impressed with her talent. After all, I still remember it all of these years later.
I've never seen that broadcast again. It's currently available on Hulu Plus. I guess I really will have to subscribe one day.
I bought a couple of her albums but then she seemed to fade away . . .
Actually, she became quite a big star in England, but rarely appeared in the United States, apparently because of a fear of flying. I must admit that I started to forget about her.
This was the song that first made her famous in England. She is playing a ghost in "Wuthering Heights."
Be prepared, it is rather unusual:
Now you see why I didn't know quite what to make of her when I first saw her? She was different.
I became aware of her again because of her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” and the accompanying Very Strange Video (at the top of this post).
I became quite obsessed with this song. It was Kate at her eccentric best, complete with the very 1980s synthesizers.
I was fascinated by her again. It is a haunting song, and the lyrics have been interpreted many different ways.
Apparently she becomes deeply involved in many stages of her music: writing, performing, choreography, producing, set design, etc.
She has really exercised great control over her career. She's nobody's puppet.
You can see more videos by Kate Bush on her official YouTube Channel:
UPDATE 2022: It seems I was way ahead of the curve! "Running Up That Hill" has suddenly become famous in America only 37 years later! It's the #1 streamed song on the planet!
You may also want to read my post:
Swedish House Mafia's "Save The World."
and
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
July 01, 2014
Seton Hall University | South Orange, New Jersey
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Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is located in South Orange, New Jersey.
Seton Hall is the oldest and largest Catholic university in New Jersey.
To find out more about Seton Hall, please watch this video:
You may also want to read about Georgian Court University, another Catholic college in New Jersey.
Thanks for visiting New Jersey Memories!
