This is classic. Sears Catalog women’s fashion pages from 1972. Styles include bathing suits, suits and dressses, primary colors, afro hairstyles, boy cut jeans and what was the NEW material of the day … Polyester! Gotta love this.

Check it out at Jezabel.

Blues and Soul magazine has an image archive of photos for sale of the Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Earth Wind and Fire among others.

Check it out. http://www.bsimagearchive.com

Ashford and Simpson were one of my favorite groups of the 70s. Their songs were so good. Writing music was their forte, and they wrote hit songs for many big name artists. I paticularly remember this blue album cover of “Gimme something Real”. I used to play this LP over and over in my room, on my little Sanyo turntable. I loved the way Valerie wore her hair and wished I could duplicate her style. With the death of Nick Ashford, we lost a brilliant singer/songwriter.

Check out – Something Real: In Memory of Nickolas Ashford.

Sunil Gavaskar is arguably one of the best batsman of all time. Some would say that 27 years ago, playing in an innings against the West Indies … which by the way, included two of the fastest bowlers of all time … Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall, he played one of the best innings ever witnessed. Not intimidated, he launched an all out batting attack against them. Instead of ducking from bouncers, he decided to use the hook shot to his advantage. Some have compared Gavaskar’s innings to that of Sir Donald Bradman or Gary Sobers. He reached his half-century off 37 balls and took only 57 more to record his 29th century. Only one other player has achieved this feat – Sir Donald Bradman.

Born in Somalia, Iman was one the most sought-after supermodels of the 70s and 80s. She was discovered by photographer Peter Beard on the streets of Nairobi and became a stunning and exotic face for fashion. “She broadened the definition of beauty,” declared Washington Post writer Robin Givhan of Iman’s stunning, exotic looks. “She made earthiness sensual. She helped to transform fashion into entertainment, and models into personalities.”

Iman began her career on haute-couture runways and in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar fashion magazines. She was instantly a favorite with designers and editors alike, and was one of first models in her day to be successful in both print and on the runway. French couturier Yves Saint Laurent even devoted a collection to her, “The African Queen,” and one of the most famous images of her career was a shot of her striding down a Paris runway in a Thierry Mugler design with a leashed leopard at her side.

Iman is married to rock musician David Bowie and launched her own line of ethnic cosmetics in the 90s.

Click here to see a visual reflection of magazine covers featuring Iman during the 1980s. Iman Magazine Covers 1980s

The 70s era produced great music. Artists really had to be able to “sing” to get a recording contract. They had to be able to perform live and exhibit raw talent, whether singing or dancing, or both. “Billboard #1s: The ‘70s” is a two CD set featuring songs that made it to number one on the Billboard charts in the 70s. Although some of my favorite artists are excluded from this collection, it represents a wide selection of material. Some of my favorites are “Your so vain” by Carly Simon, “Good Times” by Chic, “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer and “Heart of Glass” by Blondie. Whether you grew up listening to these songs, or are just curious to listen to music from another era, this album is worth a listen.

When I heard that they were remaking the movie Sparkle, it made me think back to the musical soundtrack that accompanied the original movie. Aretha Franklin sang the songs and Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack. It remains one of my favorite albums to date, and I can honestly say that I love every song. The movie cast included names such as Philip Michael Thomas, Lonette McKee, Irene Cara, and Dwan Smith. I am not a big fan of movie remakes so I have a hard time believing that it will top the original, but that remains to be seen.

Watch the Sparkle Trailer

Download Sparkle, the original movie

Download Sparkle, the original soundtrack

The Grammys Awards show was a big deal during the 1970s and 1980s. It was THE music awards show of the year. There was no MTV or VH1. If you were a teenager or young person, you definately watched the Grammys. This gallery of images from the 70s and 80s is really awesome. There are photos of David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, among others.

Click here to view the photo gallery of top music artists who attended, were nominated, or won Grammys during the 70s and 80s.

Elle magazine has been around since 1945. French in origin, this magazine has extensive worldwide appeal. I believe there are 42 international versions to date. Most popular with 18 -49 year old women, this magazine has stood the test of time. It is the world’s largest women’s fashion magazine. Click here to view a fashion slideshow of Elle magazine in the 1980s.