Hi guys, hope you are all ok? First thing, yer grandad loves you, no question. I was smiling with you the other day when you were singing along to Alexa on the ‘device’. You were singing songs form that movie about the snow – what’s it called? As well as ‘The Wheels on the bus’ and ‘Hokey Cokey’. I was telling you that I was the best singer but you wouldn’t believe me – ha, we’ll see!!
It got me thinking about songs, tunes that we remember for years, when we heard them years before. I wonder if you would soon be remembering tunes , forever. And remembering where and when you heard it. Did it mean anything to you and can you see in your imagination where you were, what was going on?
Music is all powerful, it strikes up images, memories and feelings so powerful that you will remember them for life.
So for a bit of fun, I thought I’d unload some of the songs that I recall that were, well, sort of, important to me over the years.
Early on, living in Fort Augustus – I was ten – we would have primary age dances in the village hall, probably where I had my first stab at ‘cool dancing’.
An early song was Doo Wah Diddy(Diddy dum Diddy doo), by Manfred Mann. The singer was Paul Jones, I would be fascinated by his knowledge of the blues and skill on the blues harp/harmonica for the next 50+ years, latterly withe Blues Band.
Another one by them was 5-4-3-2-1, quite a hit I recall. A few years later I really liked Pretty Flamingo – ‘Long blonde hair like the sun’. I have acute memories of the village and the Highlands,
when I hear them even now.
Sugar Sugar was a song by the Archies – an animated band I heard it at an out door centre near Dunoon on a residential – nearly got a kiss form a girl from another school – 13 years old. Before that at Corstorphine in Edinburgh primary I was in love with Carole Summers, primary seven who said no to going to the Qually dance with me. Long blonde hair, eyes of blue – same as the first line of the Walker Brothers hit at the time. Ouch!! The song was titled ‘Sorrow’. David Bowie covered it 30 years later.
At primary in Edinburgh, I was into the Monkees- big on TV at the time. Hey hey we’re the Monkees! Daydream Believer!
And in the local Astoria cinema the Beatles first film came out – A Hard Days Night. I saw it 16 times in one week, sneaking under the seats, 3 sessions a day. She Loves you Yeah Yeah YEAH!
Went to secondary school, Ainslie Park, and cooler people than me introduced me to rock bands.
My first live rock concert was Deep Purple – In Rock album – Child in Time, Speedking and as singles, Black Knight and Strange Kind of Woman. It was cool carrying the album around.
Led Zeppelin were the other top band – Whole Lotta Love – Grandad and his air guitar!!! Moving onto Stairway to Heaven – more air G.
I was also into Emerson Lake and palmer , huge Hammond organ – Tarkus – at the bingo theatre on the Bridges and YES, progressive rock they were called – add in King Crimson and Quintessance and the styles were broadening. It’s now called Edinburgh concert hall- fine memories of past incarnations.
Permission to wear any clothes you could find, long hair and say ‘peace’ to everyone. Loon pants and tie-dye shirts.
Other ones included Strawbs ‘Part of the Union’, Chicago Transit Authority, 25 or 6 to 4, and into Neil Young and his album, After the Goldrush’ – Southern man etc. School hall dances at Ainslie.
One experience opened my eyes to new music and the bands – that was ‘Woodstock – The Movie’. A docu-film of the Woodstock festival in upstate New York, using split screens, in four parts and mixing music and people. Brilliant performances from The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Alvin Lee, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Creedence, Country Joe, – 32 bands in all – eye popping, and me just 15!! You had to be 16 to get in!
Songs included, Going Home, I Can See For Miles, and the unequalled Joe Cocker who did the best cover of someone else’s song ever, the Beatles ’A Little Help From My friends’. Epic that would live for ever as ‘huge’.
There were a random revisits that stayed to this day, to the Beatles and their White Album- While my Guitar Gently Weeps, Helter Skelter, Blackbird, Do it in the Road, Revolution, Birthday, Back in the USSR. Earlier, with Sergeant Peppers – Yellow Submarine, Lucy in the Sky, others by the handful.
More Beatles hits like Hey Jude, Let It Be , Get Back, scattered about.
Many more of course, a few odds and ends – I fell in Love With an Air Hostess – Clifford T Ward, Parisienne Walkways – Gary Moore, Freebird, Lynard Skynard
Bowie was amazing – Heroes, Suffragette City, oh yes, and Sorrow and of course the Stones – those opening chords and rifts set moods for hours, days and lifetimes ahead.
Meatloaf sold millions, Bat Out Of Hell – but fell out with the music snobs, some of whom were my so called friends. As did Chris Rhea Driving home for Christmas!! Guys, watch for music snobs, they are a curse to society – be tolerant of others music – it means something to them.
There were hundreds more songs that mattered guys, but I want to finish with three songs that stuck in my head for ever, from age 15.
I had a part time job in the Hearts Social Club selling hamburgers after the bingo, before the dancing started. It was always heaving, the working class, great fun escape of a Sunday evening before hitting the Satanic mills on Monday. A wee escape for a few hours.
The main part – aside from the bingo, nearly a religious experience in all working peoples social clubs, was the house band playing a set of pop songs that were the same every week but demanded by all.
Right in the core of the evening and the demanded encore were three ‘join in’ songs.
Knock Three Times by Dawn, Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep by Middle of the Road and Tie A Yellow Ribbon by Tony Orlando and Dawn. Every one was a join in ballad, shoutable and had dance moves with it, the room would be jumping – every time and my memories are with me about dancing, singing, hamburgers and burnt onions. Magic.
Guys, start your list now
Hey, I’m off to see your brother/cousin Sandy sing in a Festival fringe show, been on for the week, this afternoon, Saturday 13th August – Bonnie and Clyde – surely will be a memory for our Sands!! He’s singing!
Yah hoo!!!!