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Proof that Tiki was part of the Swinging Singles Culture in 1966, (The Tahitian Drum thread) |
Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
|  Posted: 2006-08-20 11:52 pm Permalink
I found this article in a January 1966 copy of ARGOSY magazine today. The article was about the current fad of "Singles" apartment buildings and how popular they were at the time. Featured was the South Bay Club apartments in Torrance, CA, (Dr Z, do you know where these might be located?). Having grown up in the South Bay, that was interesting on its own. But among the fun photographs of the happy, horny denizens of said apartments, there were these photos of a very cool tiki conga-drum 
The drum can be seen again in the lower left-hand edge of this photo
Does anyone know who made this tiki drum?
P.S. I had first-hand experience of this "Swinging Singles Aparment" fad. When I was a paperboy in Junior High, (around 1976), I delivered the Daily Breeze to a Spanish-style apartment complex that took up a whole block in Redondo Beach. I remember that the entire apartment complex was rented by young singles, and while walking through the jungle-like central courtyard each day, delivering my papers, it was common to see young couples practicing the complicated moves of the current disco dancing craze through their sliding glass doors. I was hypnotized by the complexity and sensuality of that dancing, and I'm sure the customers on the next block wondered why their paper took so long to be delivered some days.
Sabu
[ This Message was edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2006-08-20 23:53 ]
[ This Message was edited by: Sabu The Coconut Boy 2008-07-08 21:17 ]
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Jeff Central
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 23, 2002
Posts: 1528
From: Columbus, Ohio
| Posted: 2006-08-21 03:44 am Permalink
Nice pictures Sabu, thanks for posting!
That Tiki Drum looks awesome!!
Cheers and Mahalo,
Jeff
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Tangaroa
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Apr 25, 2002
Posts: 1550 | Posted: 2006-08-21 06:59 am Permalink
Ahhhhh - to invent a time machine & go back to watch a young Sabu staring intently at this scene, shaking slightly, beads of sweat popping out....
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procinema29
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 31, 2003
Posts: 465
From: los angeles
| Posted: 2006-08-21 08:05 am Permalink
That top picture is so awesome, so swinging hip cha-cha-cha. This article is a very nice find.
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cheeky half
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 22, 2002
Posts: 790
From: Tucson, AZ
| Posted: 2006-08-21 09:07 am Permalink
Thanks Sabu! That is a sweet drum. I haven't seen that before. Dang now I want one.
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www.velvetglass.com
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Robertiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 11, 2006
Posts: 179 | Posted: 2006-08-21 10:06 am Permalink
Funny thing, Sabu, is that I was a Paper Boy too, And I used to deliver to the KON-TIKI apartments which burned down a few years ago.
The place had an indoor pool and sauna, plus hot tub. I once spoke to the mailman about the deliveries there. He said that over 1/2 the residences got Penthouse Forum. He assumed it was so they could read their own writings.
This was in Bremerton Wa.
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thejab
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 2984
From: Forbidden Island, CA
| Posted: 2006-08-21 10:45 am Permalink
Those were the days! Is it just me, or have we taken a step backwards as a society?
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10562
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-08-21 3:18 pm Permalink
Sabu, another great find! I believe that drums of this type are tourist and import items possibly originating from Tahiti, done by Marquesan carvers there, and available in the US at that time thru places like Oceanic Arts. I have seen them in all sizes, the one in those pictures is especially big and nice.
OA still has a smaller one, with the Marquesan heads/skulls only as the feet, I always wanted to ask them where they got it. You can see a decrepit version of it in the Urban Archaeology chapter in the BOT, in the picture with the leaning Tiki from "The Tikis", it's lying on its side.
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ikitnrev
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Jul 27, 2002
Posts: 1298
From: D.C. / Virginia
| Posted: 2006-08-21 4:02 pm Permalink
Oddly enough, there is no sign of any liquor in the above photos.
Real swinging swingles cannot live on maracas and stuffed dog animals alone.
Unless, of course, those suitcases unfold into portable tiki bars.
I wonder if they can play Martin Denny LPs on that Victrola horn-like device.
Vern
[ This Message was edited by: ikitnrev 2006-08-21 16:04 ]
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mrsmiley
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Apr 03, 2002
Posts: 3153
From: Las Vegas, NV
| Posted: 2006-08-24 8:57 pm Permalink
Looks like the Jab's pad-i SEE he bought a cool chair!
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Chip and Andy
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jul 13, 2004
Posts: 2079
From: Corner table, Molokai Lounge, Mai-Kai.
| Posted: 2006-08-25 11:13 am Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-08-21 16:02, ikitnrev wrote:
Oddly enough, there is no sign of any liquor in the above photos...Unless, of course, those suitcases unfold into portable tiki bars.... |
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Quote:
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On 2006-08-20 23:52, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
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You are close, Vern....
From the Top Down:
The first guy, with the plaid case, is carrying the whiskey. And, the dog is merely the 'container' for the stash. "No one would think to look in here...."
The next lady in line, the one with the bra on her head, has already 'tested' the stash to make sure it was OK during transportation.
The guy carrying the drum, his other bag is full of the rums. I know because I carry mine in a bag just like it when I go on the road.
Down a couple of people, at the next landing: The guy with the plaid bag, that is a traveling bar, I have one just like it.
The next guy in line, the one without the shirt, he is obviously carrying the bulk of the bottles. You can tell by how heavy the bags look and the fact that he is dragging.
The next guy down, he is carrying the ukulele and the Martin Denny record collection. He is also rather ingeniously carrying one of the larger servings glasses on his head.
For space concerns in the magazine, they decided to crop out the two guys carrying the tiki bar up the stairs. They are right behind the guy wearing the serving mug on his head.
Now, the second picture.... This one is just too scary for words....
Quote:
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On 2006-08-20 23:52, Sabu The Coconut Boy wrote:
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The article is cut, but they are talking about "secluded patios for barbecues,"" which can only mean that the happy-go-lucky crowd are not really swingers, but Urban Cannibals. The weird Victrola looking device is obviously some sort of silencer to muffle the screams as the other three ladies use their meat tenderizers on the lady wearing the bra on her head. The guy with the black case in his mouth, whom we could not see on the stair shot, obviously has no arms but is still doing his bit for tonight's feast by carrying the spice rack in his teeth. I am not sure if it is a travelling spice set or one of those new-fangled Ronco-Shrink-O-Matic head shrinkers you see on late night TV. Either way, it is still very forward thinking for a group of cannibals at that time to be so accommodating of a man with no arms.
I can only image the carnage that came after this shot......
And, someone said something about a Tiki-Time-Machine..... I have the plans, but I can't find a power source capable of generating 1.21 jigawatts of power to make it go.... 
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GatorRob
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Aug 20, 2004
Posts: 1766
From: 3 hrs 33 mins to paradise
| Posted: 2006-08-25 5:32 pm Permalink
Uh.... Chip? Whatever it was you drank prior to that post, please mix one for me.
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vintagegirl
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jun 12, 2002
Posts: 537
From: Los Angeles
| Posted: 2006-08-28 6:22 pm Permalink
Actually, couldn't that black and white photo just as easily be a snapshot from Tiki Oasis? I think that's Floratina ecstatically strumming in the chair!
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Swamp Tiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Feb 08, 2006
Posts: 158
From: The Shadowy Moss Draped South
| Posted: 2006-08-28 6:57 pm Permalink
Dang, this thread is too funny. The Georgia Swamps are still echoing with laughter. Its threads like this that have made me a regular Tiki Centralite.
Swamp
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Coco Loco
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 21, 2004
Posts: 821
From: Exotic Isle of Alameda
| Posted: 2006-09-08 7:36 pm Permalink
Quote:
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On 2006-08-28 18:22, vintagegirl wrote:
Actually, couldn't that black and white photo just as easily be a snapshot from Tiki Oasis? I think that's Floratina ecstatically strumming in the chair!
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I'm so glad you said that. I was thinking it looked like a TC party...but I thought it was just me. 
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