The Bubble Flipby Eva Pasco 
"Gimme a head
of hair, long beautiful hair...Shinin', gleamin', streamin',
flaxen, waxen..."
These commercial lyrics from the rock
musical "Hair," were released in 1969,
and gelled into place by the Cowsills, a local
singing band formed in 1966, hailing from Newport,
Rhode Island. The family group basked in the
spotlight during the 60s and early 70s. In fact,
their version of the musical's title song was no. 2 on
the charts, going up against the heaviest hitting rock bands
of the day. Though seldom taken seriously, the
Cowsills became the inspiration behind the popular TV series,
"The Partridge Family."
One of the popular
hairdos of the Sixties decade was that of the Bubble
Flip--no simple undertaking indeed! In order to
achieve the "look," serious commitment was a major
requirement:
Thickening
gel--preferably Dippity Doo goo
for priming towel-dried hair.
Brush
rollers-- though most likely the culprit for split
ends, 3" to 3 1/2" rollers were prized objects to wrap
sections of hair around. If that didn't cause you to say
"ouch," securing each one in place with a metal clip or plastic pin
raking across your scalp would. Resembling a Martian, I would
sleep on these things. My head never touched the
pillow. Many others opted to go out in public,
bonneting their rollers under a kerchief, a trendsetting style in
itself.
Helmet
hairdryer--for those who didn't mind sitting under
a hood frying for close to an hour to get a
"set."
Setting
tape--touted safe against pulling out hair, it assured
straight bangs.
Round
brush--for those who wanted their bangs curved and
voluminous as car bumpers.
Back
comb--this jagged tooth comb was necessary to rat or
tease the hair at the crown for elevation.
Hair
spray--the finishing touch was provided by a must
have shellac of the decade-- Aqua Net Ultra
Hold.
After all
of this, one was rendered "Saturday Night Date Ready."
The Cowsills harmonized it best:
A home for the fleas, a hive for the
buzzin' bees.
A nest for birds, there ain't no words, For the beauty, the splendor, the wonder of my... ...Hair
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.jpg "The 60s - Carl - 1968 - Vietnam")
