It's tempting to say they were exactly like the late 1960s, but I'd imagine they were similar and different, like the early-mid '00s are to the late 1990s.  You didn't have disco then, but you did have Motown and movies like Shaft.

Dunno...I was only a mere chitling at the time!

British colour TV was in its infancy, 'tower blocks' were all the rage...

...but we did have 'glam rock'!

...but we did have 'glam rock'!


Thank God for that!!!!

I was born in 1972, so I dont really remember the early 70's until 1974 (which is more mid 70's).

I can tell you that here in Australia we only had black and white TV until 1975. I actually have the first ever colour broadcast of Australia's Countdown music show. Got it from Rage a year or so ago.

Wish I could help with the early 70's memories...Id be interested in hearing what people remember as well.






AN

Hmmm, I have only an American teenager's perspective to give...  ::)

To me, the mood was odd back then, a little dark.  A lot of change going on - by the early 70's a lot of "hippie" types were burnouts, even though we still liked hippie idealism.  Race relations, though still strained, were improving by the day, and old walls were being breached everywhere, even though resistance was still strong.  Drugs were all over the place, as we saw so many of our huge Rock icons succumb then.  Drugs were also a problem in greater society.  A different reaction to the same issue is the Jesus Freak movement of the early 70's.

There was hope by the early 70's we'd be getting out of Vietnam but it dragged on and on, with increasing protest (remember Kent State).  That was also the first time I remember runaway inflation, worsening as we got hammered by gas shortages in '74 (before that the price was really cheap).  And of course when the Watergate scandal started taking over the news, it added to all of our disgust.  Some of us still liked NASA and outer space and what the astronauts were doing - fodder for dreams then.

We were still digesting the Beatles' breakup - that was in a way the end of the 60's musically, for me.  Music technology was improving at a rapid pace, especially the use of synthesizers.  But this was before computers, so the music was still pretty "real".  There was some lack of musical direction in the early 70's; if you listen to songs from 1972 (that year in particular) you'll find it's quite a mish-mash.  (Things improved by 73 and later.)  Even so, there was TONS of great music to be had in the early 70's - the competition level was FIERCE then, so the weak stuff didn't make it.

Hmmm, I have only an American teenager's perspective to give...   ::)

To me, the mood was odd back then, a little dark.  A lot of change going on - by the early 70's a lot of "hippie" types were burnouts, even though we still liked hippie idealism.  Race relations, though still strained, were improving by the day, and old walls were being breached everywhere, even though resistance was still strong.  Drugs were all over the place, as we saw so many of our huge Rock icons succumb then.  Drugs were also a problem in greater society.  A different reaction to the same issue is the Jesus Freak movement of the early 70's.

There was hope by the early 70's we'd be getting out of Vietnam but it dragged on and on, with increasing protest (remember Kent State).  That was also the first time I remember runaway inflation, worsening as we got hammered by gas shortages in '74 (before that the price was really cheap).  And of course when the Watergate scandal started taking over the news, it added to all of our disgust.  Some of us still liked NASA and outer space and what the astronauts were doing - fodder for dreams then.

We were still digesting the Beatles' breakup - that was in a way the end of the 60's musically, for me.  Music technology was improving at a rapid pace, especially the use of synthesizers.  But this was before computers, so the music was still pretty "real".  There was some lack of musical direction in the early 70's; if you listen to songs from 1972 (that year in particular) you'll find it's quite a mish-mash.  (Things improved by 73 and later.)  Even so, there was TONS of great music to be had in the early 70's - the competition level was FIERCE then, so the weak stuff didn't make it.



what did you think of  Evel Knievel back then?

what did you think of  Evel Knievel back then?


;D

I thought he was a nutcase!  I honestly didn't think he'd survive all his antics.  Hats off to him for pulling it off...  ::)

Hmmm, I have only an American teenager's perspective to give...   ::)

To me, the mood was odd back then, a little dark.  A lot of change going on - by the early 70's a lot of "hippie" types were burnouts, even though we still liked hippie idealism.  Race relations, though still strained, were improving by the day, and old walls were being breached everywhere, even though resistance was still strong.  Drugs were all over the place, as we saw so many of our huge Rock icons succumb then.  Drugs were also a problem in greater society.  A different reaction to the same issue is the Jesus Freak movement of the early 70's.

There was hope by the early 70's we'd be getting out of Vietnam but it dragged on and on, with increasing protest (remember Kent State).  That was also the first time I remember runaway inflation, worsening as we got hammered by gas shortages in '74 (before that the price was really cheap).  And of course when the Watergate scandal started taking over the news, it added to all of our disgust.  Some of us still liked NASA and outer space and what the astronauts were doing - fodder for dreams then.

We were still digesting the Beatles' breakup - that was in a way the end of the 60's musically, for me.  Music technology was improving at a rapid pace, especially the use of synthesizers.  But this was before computers, so the music was still pretty "real".  There was some lack of musical direction in the early 70's; if you listen to songs from 1972 (that year in particular) you'll find it's quite a mish-mash.  (Things improved by 73 and later.)  Even so, there was TONS of great music to be had in the early 70's - the competition level was FIERCE then, so the weak stuff didn't make it.



Good post. From all I know, I have to agree.

IMO 1970, and to a lesser extent, '71 were still like the late 60's.

It was 1972-75 that was a period unto itself. It wasn't the "hippie styled" 60's anymore, and it was definitely advanced from a few years earlier, both with technology and entertainment. Politically and socially, it was a little more "stable" perhaps than the late 60's (widespread racism and colored water fountains for instance, were a thing of the past). However, there still was a "60's lifestyle" to it (crusing, smoking weed - everything else from Dazed and Confused).

1976 and up is the "Disco 70s" to me. 76-77 was the peak. Even by '78, things were slowly becoming the 80's (VCR's, Atari and New Wave were in their infancy).

Wow, that means there was only three years between the very last "60s like" year and the very first "80s like" year! ;)

Lots of plaid and big collars. Bell bottoms were still popular. Kids were taught to respect others(strange concept, I know). In November everybody looked forward to the Montgomery Ward, Sears, JC Penny, and other Christmas catalogs. Trick-or-Treating was actually done after sunset. Inflation was higher. It was financially advantageous to trade autos every two years or so. Home improvement stores, Mega stores didn't exist. Malls were the cool place to go. Small town businesses could actually thrive. Biking, skateboarding, sledding, and baseball were the popular outdoor activities. People were more neighborly and helpful.

I think in many ways the early 70s were the most interesting part of the decade (especially in the US) with Vietnam ending, and reverberations of the psycadelic sixties movement. In Australia, the hippie movement was several years late (like everything else) with such events as the Nimbin music festival and the Sunbury Music Festival in 1972. As Alright Now pointed out, colour TV was only introduced in 1975.

Of the better known movies, Love Story (1970), The French Connection (1971), Shaft (1971), Superfly (1972) and lots of others give a look at life in that period. Midnight Cowboy, though released in 1969, is a good look of life in the streets of New York in the period. Probably most similar to the late 60s with a kind of psuedo-hippy ethos in comparison to the late 70s.

I showed up in my family in summer 74, but by 78 I can tell you i remember having little courduroy pant sets and I wore vests a little, and my mom sewed my clothing, usually dresses or skirts in the latest polyester fabric I picked out. I still own my favorite blue /light blue and pink stripe skirt and vest combo with a blue shirt we bought to match. 
We used to run home, do our homework and watch Scooby Doo at 5 pm just when it was getting dark outside.  Of course Scooby had been around at least since 65 I believe or maybe 68 so, I didn't know we weren't watching "new" shows, but it was as much "mystery" as a little kid could take.  And I loved watching the Muppet Show and Disney presents on sunday nights.
 

I can recall the news was on all the time on our house, 70 on.  But New york was amazing. I know its good that it's clean and family friendly now. but I really am sentimentally missing the dirty 70s NYC.  the music really reflected the times. and new york was putting out good music. after 1981 that never happened again.  we had a new wave burst and then commercialism took over.
the clothes were goofy, and there was TONS OF CRIME. 
I miss my nyc.

I can recall the news was on all the time on our house, 70 on.  But New york was amazing. I know its good that it's clean and family friendly now. but I really am sentimentally missing the dirty 70s NYC.  the music really reflected the times. and new york was putting out good music. after 1981 that never happened again.  we had a new wave burst and then commercialism took over.
the clothes were goofy, and there was TONS OF CRIME. 
I miss my nyc.


You could've lived in Philadelphia at the time, lol!