“Europe or bust!” 1975 campaign — British model Beverley Pilkington

In 1975 the people of Wales and the UK were asked to decided whether or not they wanted to remain a member of the European Community (sound familiar?) and a massive ad campaign went out to make sure that England didn’t adopt a separatist and isolationist line of thinking, and instead stuck things out at as a part of the EC.

The Yes campaign made a meal out of their “Europe or Bust” shirts that were definitely pointed at the world’s love of the chest, but there was also a No campaign that had a less sexy slogan, “Out and into the world.”

The sexy Barbi Benton, 1970

After appearing in Playboy at the very young age of 18 Benton had a relationship with the magazine’s scion Hugh Hefner for seven years. Not just another pretty face, Benton went on to pop up on shows like The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Hollywood Squares, and The Girls Next Door.

In the 1970s she spent four seasons on Her Haw before releasing her first solo album, appropriately titled “Barbi Benton” featuring the Top 5 single “Brass Knuckles.”

After enough television appearances to make a struggling actor have an aneurism, Benton retired from show business to raise her children in Los Angeles and Aspen.

Martial arts expert, Bruce Lee in “Enter The Dragon” 1973

Enter The Dragon is an undeniable achievement in genre filmmaking. Considered to be Bruce Lee’s masterwork, the film almost didn’t happen due to Lee’s disapproval of the script and desire to make it the best film possible. He initially believed that he had creative control over the script, but when it was clear that Warner Bros. was placating the actor he wrote a letter to the company voicing his distaste for the way they did business. Lee wrote:

I am sure you agree with me that quality, extreme hard work, and professionalism is what cinema is all about. My twenty years of experience, both in martial arts and acting has led to the successful harmony of showmanship and genuine, efficient, artful expression. In short, this is it, and ain’t nobody knows it like I know it . Pardon my bluntness, but that is me! You see, my obsession is to make, pardon the expression, the f*ckingest action motion picture that has ever been made. In closing, I will give you my heart, but please do not give me your head only. In return, I, Bruce Lee, will always feel the deepest appreciation for the intensity of your involvement.

Even with the letter, Warner Bros. refused to use Lee’s script changes so he did what any self respecting actor would do, he walked. Lee spent two weeks in a cold war with the distribution company until they blinked and told the producers to use Lee’s script changes.

Bruce Springsteen in a phone booth, East Camden, NJ, 1978

In 1978, Bruce Springsteen was on one of the most important tours of his life. From May 1978 to January 1, 1979, Springsteen played 115 shows and hit major markets, college towns, and everywhere in between to preach the gospel of The Boss.

Seeing a Springsteen show today is like going to a marathon. There are multiple sets, entire albums are played, and the audience leaves after picking themselves up off the floor. In ’78, Springsteen’s sets hadn’t quite reached that length, but they were intense. Many critics at the time described these shows as religious experiences, with Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn writing:

I realized the faith I was beginning to put in Springsteen the December day in 1978 that I drove 400 miles to Tucson, Arizona, to see him in concert [for personal reasons, not as a professional assignment]. The show was part of a short western swing near the end of the Darkness tour that skipped Los Angeles. [a] swell of emotion came to me during Bruce’s concert in Tucson . seeing Springsteen push himself so hard on stage and listening to the eloquence of his songs made me forget about doubts and think about my own dreams again.