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No one can stop a “Duke of Earl.” As an R&B predecessor and major stylistic influence, Gene Chandler is remembered fondly for this hit song. A darling among all the solid gold oldies, the dumbed-down background doo-wops made for a catchy classic. The soulful chart-topper was his big break and led him into 19 singles on the top 40 list.

It is a summer love anthem to it’s core and what needs to be brought back from the early 1960′s, when poodle skirts had just lost their appeal, but pleasant harmonies remained in high demand–thank, goodness. Chandler ruled as Duke, wearing a monocle, cape, top hat, and cane to each performance. The talent, not the attire, is what won him the “Producer of the Year” Award for the National Association of TV and Radio in 1970, beating even famed producer of the Temptations.

Let him seize your sound system for the summer. The Duke rules again.

Listen to “I’m Alive” here

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If anything, Johnny Thunder knew how to make you feel alive, and that’s just what this fuzzy 60′s mod song does. “I’m Alive” is a crunchy, underrated classic with garage band style and the vocal bravery of Mr. Thunder, a former lead singer of the Drifters. That shrieking, untamed voice is pure rock ‘n’ roll, not to mention, that blues-ridden electric guitar. The track, originally belonging to Tommy James and the Shondells, became killer when Johnny touched it. Read the full story

Coinciding with the London Fashion in Film Festival (1 – 12 December), Flash Projects in London is exhibiting iconic original vintage photographs by Jean Clemmer, exploring fantasy, sensuality and haute couture in 1960s Paris.
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Romanian model Catrinel Menghia now resides in Milan and this black and white photo shoot for Aubade Agenda would even convince Federico Fellini that she is full blooded Sicilian beauty. With the help of Menghia’s beauty, this unnamed photographer has captured the essence and style of Italy in the 1960s.

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The creator of SquareAmerica.com trawls flea markets and garage sales seeking out vintage-photo treasure. Scanning and categorizing grainy snapshots of American history (taken by mostly amateur photogs) the site is a curious journey of the 20th century.

Some cool categories:

What Was On - Apparently before DVR or VCR’s people would document historic TV with a camera lens. It seems almost ridiculous nowadays to be snapping the TV screen but these homemade screenshots of 1950′s news including the assassination of John F. Kennedy and moon landing are pretty cool.

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I’ve always had a weak spot for fashion illustrations, probably because it was one of the ways i wished most i could express my fashion sense, and I could not. The images above are 1960′s illustrations of Jean-Claude Picard which I adore.