ASTRODOMES, VIDEO AND CATERPILLARS

Here's a selection of space toys that I've seen online recently on Ebay or other sales outlets. It always amazes me how some features where universally associated with space back in the Sixties and Seventies, featues like the Astrodome and caterpillar tracks. I see similarities in this lot with Scout 1, Moonbus and Lunar Climber. The Sight Seeing Bus is a favourite as astrodomed space buses don't often come up. The word Astrodome makes me think of David Bowie's beautiful song 'Drive-In Saturday' from 1973 (excerpt below), in which he uses the word 'Astronette' - not sure what it is? - and without doubt the first time I heard the word 'Video' in the UK. Oddly enough the first person I knew who had a Video player (or VCR as they were later known) was my thoroughly modern brother Eugene and the first film we watched together one dark Winter Sunday in the late Seventies was, uncannily, 'Drive-In Massacre', a classic slice of 80's B-movie schlock. In those early days of video I remember that both Betamax and VHS big box tapes jostled for shelf-space in the ever growing army of video stores, which were often in other shops like general stores! A loaf, some milk and oh yes, Drive-In Massacre on Betamax please! Sadly VHS won the shelf-space war.

Drive In Saturday 1973 David Bowie (excerpt)

"Jung the foreman prayed at work (dom du aaah)

Neither hands nor limbs would burst

It's hard enough to keep formation with this fall out saturation

(bah dom bah) Cursing at the Astronette

(dom du aaah) Who stands in steel by his cabinet

He's crashing out with Sylvian

The Bureau Supply for ageing men

With snorting head he gazes to the shore

Once had raged a sea that raged no more

Like the video films we saw"

Pictures: Ebay and Gasoline Alley Antiques
Lyrics: David Bowie