Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The English rock band The Who released their debut studio album, My Generation, in the UK in December 1965. However, it was not released in the U.S. until 60 years ago in April 1966 under the title The Who Sings My Generation. The cover was different as well, and the U.K. version had a Bo Didley song, “I’m A Man”, that did not appear on the U.S. release. In its place was the song “Instant Party (Circles)”. Guitarist Pete Townshend-who turned 81 in May-penned most of the album’s original tracks.

The song “My Generation” is featured prominently in the 2009 film, “Pirate Radio” (a/k/a “The Boat That Rocked”), most notably as the song that celebrated the ship’s refusal to be shut down by a law banning rock & roll. Watching all the DJ’s dancing to that song in honor of their boat’s mission to bring great music to Great Britain was just perfect. Great scene, great song.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The band’s fifth album, Who’s Next, was released 55 years ago in August 1971. Once again the majority of the songs-eight out of nine-were all written by Pete Townshend and continued the band’s reign as one of the greatest British rock bands of all time.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The R&B group The Spinners formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1954. However, they did not score their first Top Ten hit until 1972 with “I’ll Be Around”. That was followed by my personal favorite, “Could It Be I’m Falling In Love”, which peaked at #4 in March 1973. A year later, a duet with Dionne Warwick-“I Never Knew Love Before”-hit #1 in October 1974. The Spinners had a total of seven Top Ten hits, including the one released fifty years ago in August 1976 which reached the #2 spot in the country by the end of that year.

The Spinners’ seventh album was released 50 years ago in July 1976. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

Twenty years ago, one of the funniest & most original shows I ever saw began its eight year run. “Psych” premiered in July 2006 and was centered around the machinations of the hyper-aware Sean Spencer who used that gift to appear “psychic” which made the police take notice & use his “gift” to help them solve a variety of cases. Working as a team with his best friend from childhood, Burton Guster-better known as Gus-who was usually introduced by an array of nicknames Sean deemed comical & triggering in the moment. The series ran for eight seasons with three movies released since the final episode in 2014-“Psych: The Movie” in 2017, “Psych 2: Lassie Come Home” in 2020 and “Psych 3: This Is Gus” in 2021.

Creator Steve Franks gave us an unbelievably fresh & hilarious take on the ususal cop show, adding in an incredibly endearing bromance ripe with every pop culture reference known to man between Sean & Gus, the family dynamic with Sean’s dad, retired cop Henry Spencer (played by Corbin Bernsen), plus the pairing of senior detective Carlton “Lassie” Lassiter (Timothy Omundson) with a younger trainee, Juliet O’Hara (Maggie Lawson), both working under the helm of Chief Karen Vick (Kirsten Nelson). And in the “taking care of your own” category, the second movie was rewritten to to include Omundson after he suffered a debilitating stroke in 2017).

Add to that notable guest stars from William Shatner, Cybill Shepherd, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald and many others and it is a can’t miss show, period. If you are out of the loop on this one, I urge you to binge watch it soon.

(Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The cast of “Psych” (L-R): Maggie Lawson, Corbin Bernsen, James Roday Rodriguez, Kirsten Nelson, Dule Hill and Timothy Omundson. (Image found online.  Original source unknown.)

The Who: “My Generation” (1966, written by Pete Townshend).

The Who: “Baba O’Riley” (1971, written by Pete Townshend).

The Who: “Behind Blue Eyes” (1971, written by Pete Townshend).

The Who: “Won’t Get Fooled Again” (1971, written by Pete Townshend).

The Spinners: “The Rubberband Man” (1976, written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed).

The Friendly Indians: “Psych Theme Song” (2006, written by The Friendly Indians).

Stay safe & well.