MCCALLUM HULLABALOO

During the Spy Boom, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. stars Robert Vaughn and David McCallum were in high demand to make appearances on other shows. Both actors took turns hosting the musical series Hullabaloo, and their clips offer a great time capsule of the mid-1960s fascination with spies, pop music, and the British Invasion. In this episode, first aired on September 27th, 1965, David McCallum donned his popular Illya attire (dark suite with turtleneck) in a series of fun espionage-themed skits and he introduced performances by great acts such as Peter and Gordon, The Animals, and the Beau Brummels. Listen for instrumental arrangements of The Beatles and spy tunes, as well as another U.N.C.L.E. cameo. Enjoy!

Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art Interview, Fergus Fleming Interview, Avengers: Alan Hayes Interview, Jaz Wiseman Interview, Diana Rigg BFI Interview, Casino Royale Interview: Mike Richardson, Lost Diana Rigg Interview, Honor Blackman at 90, UNCLE School, Ian Fleming Memorial, Portmeirion Photos, Doctor Who Exhibit, Farewell Steed, Pussy Galore Returns, Diana Rigg birthday, Sherlock at 221B, Invisible Agent, Saint Interview: Ian Dickerson, Saint Doppelgänger, Fleming's Typewriter, Rare Fleming, Fleming's Music, Ian Fleming's Japan, Jim Wilson Corgi Interview, Fantomas Design, John Buss interview, Saint Volvo, Mod Tales Interview, Agente Secreto Comics, Danger Man Comics 2, Danger Man Comics, John Drake Comics, Der Mann Von UNCLE, Golden Margaret Nolan, Man From UNCLE Rocksteady, Pussy Galore Calypso, Cynthia Lennon R.I.P., Edward Mann Fashion, Leonard Nimoy Tribute, Shatner at 84, Bob Morane series, Thai Bond Design, Bond vs Modernism, Tokyo Beat 1964, Feraud Mod Fashion, Green Hornet Manga, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.

PETER ASHER TOUR

Peter Asher, famed British Invasion star and producer, is bringing his acclaimed audio/visual memoir show back on tour for four dates this fall. Asher's performance offers rare images and live music in a celebration of his long career. Highlights include stories about his recording years in the group Peter and Gordon, duets with taped Gordon tracks, songs with a live band, and many stories about his years in the Beatles inner circle. Paul McCartney had a long-term relationship with Asher's sister Jane and lived in the Asher home during the Swinging London era. Peter and Gordon recorded a number of McCartney songs, including World Without Love. Asher later became an A&R man for Apple and discovered singer/songwriter James Taylor. He continued to produce artists after Apple, including Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, 10,000 Maniacs, Diana Ross, Ringo Starr, Neil Diamond, Steve Martin, and many others. Scheduled dates include Yoshi's in Oakland on Sept. 18th and the Grammy Museum in LA on Oct. 12th (The Ringo Starr exhibit is also currently at the Grammy Museum). Tour info at Asher's website here. Spy Vibe's checklist of current Beatles-related releases and concerts here. 

Get ready to meet MIKI ZERO, Japanese fashion model and spy! Jason Whiton, creator of Spy Vibe, has written a novel inspired by his love of Ian Fleming and based on newly declassified intel from the Cold War. More info at his website here. Recent Spy Vibe posts: Beatles fall 2013 releases, A Hard Days Night cinematographer dies, Magic Christian on Blu-ray, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute, Ian Fleming memorial, Emma Peel Megaset returns. More Bo Diddley here. 

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address

FLUXUS FILM

John Lennon visited a Fluxus exhibit by Yoko Ono on November 9th, 1966 and he was struck by the playfulness and positive imagining in the work. Although Fluxus Art may seem bizarre to the uninitiated, it shares whimsical and conceptual qualities with Dada, the do-it-yourself aesthetic, a political avant-garde, and the philosophies of John Cage. Yoko's show was at the Indica Gallery, a gallery owned by Peter Asher, John Dunbar, and Barry Miles, and backed by Paul McCartney (group seen below at the opening of Indica with Marianne Faithfull). 

Reflecting on his first meeting with Yoko, John Lennon said, "I got the humor in her work immediately. I didn't have to have much knowledge about avant-garde or underground art, the humor got me straightaway. There was a fresh apple on a stand - this was before Apple - and it was two hundred quid to watch the apple decompose. But there was another piece that really decided me for-or-against the artist: a ladder which led to a painting which was hung on the ceiling. It looked like a black canvas with a chain with a spyglass hanging on the end of it. This was near the door when you went in. I climbed the ladder, you look through the spyglass and in tiny little letters it says 'yes'. So it was positive. I felt relieved. It's a great relief when you get up the ladder and you look through the spyglass and it doesn't say 'no' or 'fuck you' or something, it said 'yes'."

Filmmaker Jeffrey Perkins is currently working on a new documentary film about the Fluxus art movement. He was also initiated into Fluxus by Yoko in the 1960s and she appears in the new film. With seven days left to fund production of the movie through Kickstarter, Perkins has already conducted interviews with such luminaries as Ono, Jonas Mekas, Jon Hendricks, Alison Knowles, Nam June Paik, and Peter Frank. Consider becoming a backer at the project's Kickstarter page. As a rich element in the history of art in the late 1950s and 1960s, Fluxus deserves the in-depth look that this documentary will provide. Plus, one of my former filmmaking students is working on the film! Spy Vibe has contributed to the production of the film. Read more about Fluxus and Jeffrey Perkins at Art in America.