Hi, everyone. Welcome to this week’s edition of Music Monday.
(Image found online. Original source unknown.)
Both of my parents loved music. Luckily, they shared that passion with me. Since I spent more time as a child with my mother when my dad was at work, I remember her influence during my younger years with much more clarity and a melancholy that makes me long for a home I no longer have.
I specifically remember about a dozen songs, most of which we had as 45’s which my mom played on repeat during that time. September 29 will mark her 87th birth anniversary, so I decided to go through her favorite songs during my childhood which are still indelible in my mind. Despite hearing them some days over & over for hours at a time, I never ever got sick of them. To this day, they are some of my favorite tunes that I can still sing along with word for word.
My parents in 1961 at their engagement party. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
These songs have followed me my whole life, popping up in some unexpected moments, TV shows and movies as a reminder to that remarkable time when all was perfect in my world & perhaps as a sign that my mother is always present, even when I ache to feel her. I have listed the songs below in chronological order by release date:
1970:
The Poppy Family: “Which Way You Goin’ Billy” (released March 1970, written by Terry Jacks).
The writer of this song-Terry Jacks-had a #1 hit for three consecutive weeks in March 1974 with “Seasons In The Sun”.
Vanity Fare: “Hitchin’ a Ride” (released March 1970, written by Mitch Murray and Peter Callander).
Just a fun song with a great beat, featured in the 1995 movie, “Now & Then”.
Bread: “Make It With You” (released May 1970, written by David Gates).
This is the one that stops me dead in my tracks whenever I hear it. It is my favorite on the list & was probably my mom’s second fave, just behind The Bee Gees’ #1 song from 1971 (see below). It is Bread’s only #1 song, hitting the top spot for one week in August 1970. There are elements of Gates’ song (especially at the 2:12 mark) that remind me of Burt Bacharach’s tune, “Nikki” (written in 1966 for his newborn daughter, released in 1971) which was used as the “ABC Movie Of The Week” theme starting in the 1970’s (at the 0:52 second mark you can clearly hear the music used in the bumper, which just transports me back to my wonder years from the very first note).
Bread (circa 1970, L-R): Jimmy Griffin, , David Gates, Mike Botts (seated) and Robb Royer. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
B.J. Thomas: “I Just Can’t Help Believing” (released June 1970, written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil).
EXTRA: My mom’s great musical love, Elvis Presley, released his own version in November 1970.
Tony Orlando & Dawn: “Candida” (released July 1970, written by Irwin Levine and Toni Wine).
This one popped up during a “hootenanny” in one of my absolute favorite TV shows of all time-“Lost”-in an episode entitled “LaFleur” (S5 E8) which aired on March 4, 2009.
Lynn Anderson: “(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden” (released October 1970, written by Joe South).
This was a #1 country song for Anderson (September 26, 1947 – July 30, 2015) for five consecutive weeks beginning December 26, 1970 which crossed over as a hit on the pop charts around the same time, peaking at #3 on the Hot 100 in February 1971.
In March 1977 she appeared in an episode of one of my favorite shows-“Starsky & Hutch” (S2 E23, “Long Walk Down a Short Dirt Road”) as a country singer being stalked by an unstable former DJ. At the end of the episode she sang “Loving Arms” with David Soul (Hutch).
David Soul (L) with Lynn Anderson (R) in “Starsky & Hutch” in March 1977. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
1971:
The Bee Gees: “How Do You Mend A Broken Heart” (1971, written by Barry Gibb and Robin Gibb).
This is the quintessential song that makes me think of my mother. Her love for this one was particularly fierce. Co-written & sung by Barry Gibb who turned 80 earlier this month, born September 1, 1946 in Douglas, Isle of Man. I may never forgive him for The Bee Gees’ disco years, but there is no denying the fact that he & his brothers have been a part of my life since the first time my mother heard this track. It was The Brothers Gibb first #1 song, a spot they held for four consecutive weeks, nearly the entire month of August 1971 (August 7-September 3).
EXTRA: Soul singer extraordinaire Al Green did an exceptional cover of this song on his 1972 album, Let’s Stay Together. Slow, soulful and oh-so smooth. Definitely worth your consideration.
The Bee Gees circa 1970 (L-R): Maurice, Barry and Robin Gibb. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
1972:
Mac Davis: “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me” (released July 1972, written by Mac Davis: January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020).
Spectaculary mocked in a November 1995 episode of “Roseanne” (S8 E7, “The Getaway, Almost”) where she & Jackie are talking about songs that did not send positive messages to women. Roseanne quotes the line “I’ll just use you then I’ll set you free” to which she quips, “Use me, I’ll set you on fire, you b&stard!”.
Mac Davis circa 1974. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
Rick Nelson & The Stone Canyon Band: “Garden Party” (released July 1972, written by Rick Nelson: May 8, 1940 – December 31, 1985 ).
Years after its release as I was discovering my own musical tastes, I was pleasantly surprised to learn a few of Nelson’s lyrics referenced two of The Beatles who attended the show that inspired this song (they were there as fans, not performers). They were mentioned in the lines “Yoko brought a Walrus” (about John Lennon and his wife Yoko) and “Mr. Hughes hid in Dylan’s shoes wearing his disguise” (about George Harrison, as Hughes was supposedly Harrison’s alias and he was rumored to be making an album of all Bob Dylan songs at that time).
Rick Nelson (seated, with guitar) and his band circa 1969. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
1976 (BONUS):
Paul Anka: In January 1976 his song, “Times Of Your Life” (written by Bill Lane and Roger Nichols) hit #1 on the Easy Listening chart for one week. It was a Top Ten hit on the Hot 100 chart, peaking at #7 in February 1976. Despite the song’s sweet nostalgic sentiment, I must admit I never found it to be overly sappy but rather on point, especially the lines:
“For memories are time that you borrow
To spend when you get to tomorrow“
The track became the theme song for camera & film giant Kodak’s advertising campaign in the mid 1970’s. The song was also highlighted in the AMC “Mad Men” series finale promos in 2015.
One of my most cherished memories with my mother was the night we stayed up to watch Anka on “The Midnight Special”, a story I shared on Day 523 of my Lockdown Countdown. During that show he sang one of his #1 hits, “(You’re) Having My Baby” (a duet with Odia Coates). It reached the top spot for three consecutive weeks beginning in August 1974. Have to say, I found this song a little cringe when I was a child, but somehow I find it more cringe today as an adult (sorry, mom).
Odia Coates (L) with Paul Anka (R) circa 1974. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
Anka, who was a teen idol in the late 1950’s, had his first #1 hit in July 1959 for four weeks with “Lonely Boy”. He had a total of Ten Top 10 hits in his career to date and wrote a number of high profile songs including “Diana” (1957), “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” (1959), “Puppy Love” (1960) along with the English lyrics to the song that became Frank Sinatra’s signature tune, “My Way”.
Pop culture mentions: Anka is the father-in-law of actor Jason Bateman, who married Amanda Anka in 2001. In September 2005 in the S6 E2 of The Gilmore Girls, Lorelai adopted a dog she named Paul Anka. He appeared as himself the same season in E18, which aired in April 2006.
Jason Bateman (L) with Anka (R) circa 2015. (Image found online. Original source unknown.)
Stay safe & well.
