Rockin in the Free World

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Text on Button NEIL YOUNG ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD
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Red and blue text on a white background

Curl Text C 1989 Reprise Records. Made in U.S.A. For promotional use only not for sale
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“Rockin’ in the Free World” is a song by Canadian musician, Neil Young. The song was released on his 1989 album, Freedom. Two versions of the song were released, one of which was primarily acoustic and the other electric. The lyrics of the song criticize the George H. W. Bush administration and references Bush’s infamous “thousand points of light” remark during his 1989 inaugural address. The song inadvertently became the anthem of the fall of communism due to the lyrics “rockin’ in the free world”. 

Catalog ID MU0340

Punk is Funk

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Text on Button PUNK IS FUNK
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White block text on a black background with an outer white edge

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The Instant Punk Kit was available by mail in the late 1970s. It included a button, jewelry, and a punk handbook. 

The funk and punk rock music genres merged together to form a dance hybrid genre in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Funk-punk was influenced by the "no wave" movement that came out of New York during this period which was based on the rejection of commercial new wave music. The joining together of funk and punk has been referred to as a no wave mutant disco hybrid of music. 

Sources
Catalog ID MU0408

Patti Smith Wave

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Text on Button PATTI SMITH
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Photograph of Patti Smith holding two doves in her hands.

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Patti Smith Group released Wave, their fourth studio album, in 1979. The album's lead single "Frederick" was dedicated to Patti Smith's then-future husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith of the band MC5.

Wave received mixed reviews from critics, and Patti Smith Group disbanded following its release. Smith remained in semi-retirement following her marriage and the birth of her children until 1988, when she released the solo album Dream of Life

Catalog ID MU0422

Ozzy Osbourne Bites It

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Text on Button OZZY OZBOURNE BITES IT
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White and black text on a black background

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John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English singer, songwriter and actor.  He was the main vocalist for the heavy metal band, Black Sabbath from 1968-1970.  Following Black Sabbath, Ozzy had a successful solo career, releasing 11 albums, 7 of which received multi-platinum certifications. 

Controversy followed Ozzy since his departure with Black Sabbath.  Special interest groups, especially during the Satanic Moral Panic of the 1980s, have accused him of glorifying Satanism, suicide and the occult through his music.  He is also notorious for his past hedonistic lifestyle and intoxicated misconduct. 

The button's text most likely alludes to two incidents where Ozzy bit the head off animals.  In 1981, after signing his solo record deal with CBS records, Ozzy bit the head off of a dove.  Later, in 1982, he bit the head off of a dead bat while performing a concert in Des Moines, Iowa.

Sources

Curtis-Horsfall, T. (2024, March 13). Did Ozzy Osbourne ever really bite a bat's head off? Gold Radio. https://www.goldradio.com/news/music/ozzy-osbourne-really-bite-bat-head-off/ 

Ozzy Osbourne. (2024, October 2). In Wikipedia. Retrieved October 13, 2024 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzy_Osbourne 

Catalog ID MU0005

Bow Wow Wow Black 3

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Text on Button WOW
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Yellow text on a black background

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Bow Wow Wow is an English new wave band that was formed in 1980.  The band was conceived and managed by Malcolm McLaren following the breakup of The Sex Pistols.  The band is known for combining the new wave sound of the 1980s with world music, particularly African-style drumming.

In 1980 they released the first ever cassette-single titled "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!"  Their label, EMI, refused to promote the single because they believed it promoted home-taping, as the B-side of the cassette was left blank.  The band may be best known for their rendition of the Strangelove's song from 1965, "I Want Candy".

The band initially disbanded in 1983, but reformed again in 1997 and have been active periodically since then.

Catalog ID MU0371

Bow Wow Wow Black 2

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Text on Button WOW
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Yellow text on a black background

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Bow Wow Wow is an English new wave band that was formed in 1980.  The band was conceived and managed by Malcolm McLaren following the breakup of The Sex Pistols.  The band is known for combining the new wave sound of the 1980s with world music, particularly African-style drumming.

In 1980 they released the first ever cassette-single titled "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!"  Their label, EMI, refused to promote the single because they believed it promoted home-taping, as the B-side of the cassette was left blank.  The band may be best known for their rendition of the Strangelove's song from 1965, "I Want Candy".

The band initially disbanded in 1983, but reformed again in 1997 and have been active periodically since then.

Catalog ID MU0370

Bow Wow Wow Black 1

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Text on Button BOW
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Yellow text on a black background

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Bow Wow Wow is an English new wave band that was formed in 1980.  The band was conceived and managed by Malcolm McLaren following the breakup of The Sex Pistols.  The band is known for combining the new wave sound of the 1980s with world music, particularly African-style drumming.

In 1980 they released the first ever cassette-single titled "C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!"  Their label, EMI, refused to promote the single because they believed it promoted home-taping, as the B-side of the cassette was left blank.  The band may be best known for their rendition of the Strangelove's song from 1965, "I Want Candy".

The band initially disbanded in 1983, but reformed again in 1997 and have been active periodically since then.

Catalog ID MU0369

Vinyl Answer

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Illustration of a person with a vinyl record for a head on a white background

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Clive Young is a writer and editor at Pro Sound News magazine and the author of two books: Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind The Camera and Crank It Up: Live Sound Secrets of the Top Tour Engineers. Young manages the Vinyl Answer accounts on the social media sites Tumblr and Instagram. As of 2023, the Tumblr account's profile picture was the image found on this button which symbolizes the purpose of the account: to share stories behind the records in his personal collection. Posts consist of photos of new and old additions to the record collection with brief summaries, commentary about what he’s listening to, and trivia.

Sources


Young, C. (2021). CliveYoung.com - writer•editor•speaker•hepcat. http://www.cliveyoung.com/

Young, C. [@vinyl.answer]. (n.d.-a). vinyl.answer [Instagram page]. Instagram. Retrieved May 16, 2021, from https://www.instagram.com/vinyl.answer/

Young, C. [Vinyl Answer]. (n.d.-b). Vinyl Answer [Tumblr page]. Tumblr. Retrieved May 16, 2021, from https://vinylanswer.tumblr.com/?og=1

Catalog ID MU0400

Wisconsin School Band Tournament

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Text on Button WISCONSIN SCHOOL BAND TOURNAMENT
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Illustration of a drum viewed from the side with an outline of the state of Wisconsin on the side of the drum along with black and yellow text ona yellow background

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BASTIAN BROS. CO. ROCHESTER, N.Y.  MFR'S OF RIBBON, METAL AND CELLULOID NOVELTIES (union bug)

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Waupin is a school located in Wisconsin. In 1928, Waupin's school superintendent, Henry C. Wegner, was the secretary of the Wisconsin School Band Association and actively promoted Waupin in school band competitions. With Wisconsin leading the nation in school band growth, the years 1915 through 1935 were a time associated with the rise in school bands. The Wisconsin Boys Band Association, later called the Wisconsin School Music Association, promoted band competitions in the 1920's. Competitions evolved quickly with prizes awarded in gold and silver cups. The high school band movement required musical selections, sponsored girls competing in band (as early as 1922), and developed a classification system where experienced and novice bands competed separately.

Sources

Fonder, M. (1989). The Wisconsin school music association and it's contests: The early years. Journal of Research in Music Education 37(2), 112-131.

Catalog ID EV0327

Neil Young Album

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Text on Button NEIL YOUNG
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Black text on a white background across the top over a colorful illustration of Neil Young

Curl Text MFG by I and J Productions LTD., U.K.
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"Neil Young" is a self titled album of musician Neil Young and was released in 1968. The album came out following Young's departure from the band Buffalo Springfield, in which he played guitar, harmonica, piano, and also sang, and was his debut as a solo artist.

Neil young is a Canadian musician who gained popularity through his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. 

Catalog ID MU0360