Issac Hayes Buys Some Used Components

One of my all-time favorite TV shows is The Rockford Files.  James Garner plays a laid-back ex-con private eye.  He’s an old-fashioned guy kinda coasting around half-confused amid all the far-out hippies and irresponsible bon vivants of mid-seventies Los Angeles.

He’s kinda like If Johnny Cash Was A Detective.  He drives a gold Firebird (NOT a Trans-Am – too tarty-) and he’s generally pretty alright.

Since our show is set in mid-seventies LA, there is plenty of music-biz shenanigans throughout the series.  In one of my favorite scenes, Rockford impersonates (oh-btw- his general workflow consists of 70% impersonating fictional people and 30% fast driving) an A+R guy who proposes remixing an ex-con’s old record with new string overdubs ETC…  another one has him head-to-head with a squirrelly label head with a payola/coke/murder problem.  it’s all pretty great.  ANYHOW.  in the scene below, Gandolf Finch (played by issac hayes) describes doing something that no one really does anymore…  he BUYS USED STEREO COMPONENTS thru the classifieds.  IN THE PAPER.

Wow.  people used to actually needed to buy an amp, a tape deck, a tuner, a record player, speakers…  crazy.  Nowadays it’s an ipod dock with a lil amp built in.  Would a 12 yr old kid even understand WTF Gandy is talking about here?   Components?  Furthermore, the whole plot of this episode hinges on the fact that the used speakers turn out to contain a shit ton of stolen money/drugs ETC.  What could u fit in one of those ipod docks?  a few roaches and a coupla nickels?  Certainly not enough to get Rockford out of his trailer.  (oh yeah- Rockford lives in a mobile home on the beach).  Check out the clip below, and check out The Rockford Files streaming on Netflix. Season 2 is the best season, IMO.

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