Putzing Along In Pursuit Of Radio Road

"They" say that life is a journey (who the hell are 'they" anyway and I don't know about you, but I don't remember asking "them"!  But I digress ALREADY) and the last couple of years of the journey have brought some of the greatest people I will ever know into my life.  Today I got to spend the day with 2 of my favorite guys, Scott and Christopher. I got to do something today that probably would never have come along if it were not for Scott.  About a week ago he invited me to go to a gun show (yes, that's right....I said gun show) with him and Christopher.  I thought, well, in the scheme of my life, this was a random enough event and it would be a day out with them so without hesitation I said YES!

Now, here I sit, at the end of one of the best days ever (isn't it great how as you get older and you really appreciate the people in your life, you find you have more and more "best days ever"?) soaking it all in, kicking myself for not buying the knife-thingy (that IS the technical name.  shuttup!), thinking about the 1911, looking for Radio Road and still feeling the warmth of my beer paddle sampler (that just looks kind of kinky in print) I can't help but think about these two amazing men.  Both fathers, both Marines who have served our country and both, I can't believe I am fortunate enough to say, are my friends!  I love you!

(the beer paddle sampler)

Thank you for letting me get all of that out!!!  Now, I get to have even more fun!! THE MUSIC!

Got my 10 up and ready, so to speak, and I am already laughing!  The irony of today's title is that all of these songs are from the golden days of 77WABC that we listened to all the time, some a little bit more obscure than others but all fun. Where is that illusive Radio Road now?

(you can click these pics to enbiggen them)

1. Money Honey - Bay City Rollers 3:17 (Arista Records) This was the follow-up single to S A T U R D A Y Night!  A little heavier on the guitars and rocking piano with a touch of 50's rock-a-billy this was their attempt at shaking the sweetness of the previous megahit.  It is actually a fun song but the lyrics!!!!  LOL "That money honey, gets you breakfast in bed.  Hey money honey you drive me right out of my head"!  Ok.      Next?

2. Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede ("swayed" for those newcomers in the group) 2:54 (EMI Records) Oookah oookah oookah jahgga Oookah oookah oookah jahgga  Ya know, I really don't need to say another word, but you know me, I am going to.  This was a remake of a B.J. Thomas song and except for the "Oookah oookah oookah jahggas" it is faithful to the original.  Now I ask you dear readers, can you imagine THAT meeting?  "Ok, we have this great song that we want to remake.  We just feel that it could use something new......."

3. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Rupert Holmes 3:50 (Infinity Records)  A classic in silliness from someone who would go on to write and produce some of the greatest songs for people like Barbra Streisand as well as penning outstanding Broadway shows such as Edwin Drood!  This is one of the most well-produced songs ever and was never meant to be anything more than some summer fun.  Well, isn't it still played EVERYWHERE?  I have written to the man several times because he supposedly produced a single for my friend Laurie that I do not own, but he has never written back.  But that's another story!

4. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - Joan Baez 3:21 (Vanguard Records) The diary entry of a Civil War soldier sung by one of the greatest voices of protest during the Vietnam War. Irony?  perhaps.  Until you listen to the lyrics.  This is a song about what has always made this country great....a soldier who may not agree with the "why" but will do what needs to be done for his country and his family. If you disagree with what I have gleened from this song, let me know.  Just remember, art in any form, is subjective.

5. Heartache Tonight - Eagles 4:26 (Asylum Records) Gawd!  What do you say about this song?  It is a GREAT GREAT song! I can tell you that one of my favorite covers of this song was from Olivia Newton-John's 1980 TV special.  She took the "girl" singers from the most popular "girl/guys" groups of the day including Peaches, Tenille, Tina and KAREN and as she strolled through Hollywood, she encountered the various women singing a verse with each.  Karen, of course was my fave! I still think Olivia did this to help Karen step out from the Carpenters.  Karen had just finished recording her solo album that got shelved for almost 20 years.

6. Everybody's Out Of Town - B.J. Thomas 2:42 (Scepter Records) This was the follow-up to Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. I LOVE THIS SONG! (For those interested, this 45 was played to death, is broken in half and has some of the funkiest surface noises ever, but still plays) Not really sure what the song is REALLY about but, on the scratchy surface, this is a first hand account of a man wondering through the streets and ghettos to find that, well, Everybody's Out Of Town.  I think it was Bacharach/David's way of saying that we need to start all over again. A pop version of Noah's Arc? The string and horn arrangements in this song are INCREDIBLE!

7. Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack 4:46 (Atlantic Records) Brilliant. Incomparable. Perfect!  The perfect marriage of singer and song.  People can keep redoing this song but nothing will ever come close to this.  This is another song that I used to sing into my little Panasonic recorder.  I am sure that when my mom reads this it will all come flooding back.  Let's hope she doesn't run away from the computer.  LOL By the way, it was this song and Carpenter's Hurting Each Other that I learned to hear and sing harmonies.  1972 was a good year.

8. Stay Awhile - The Bells 3:15 (Polydor Records) This was a single that my Mom bought, again in 1972. It is a beautiful, pure love song between a couple.  Husband and wife? Lovers? who cares.  It is one of the most intimate, personal songs I have ever heard.  Listening to it now, as an adult, I feel a little dirty.  It is almost like the listener is there in the room as these two are getting ready to make love.  The love they feel for each other is palbable.  Her breathy sexy voice compliments his rich deep sexy voice and when they both admit at the end, "I guess I'm gonna stay" you can almost imagine the door closing and them getting, well, bizzzay!                          I am tiptoeing away to the next song....GET AWAY FROM THAT DOOR!!!

9. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack 4:15 (Atlantic Records) We have slipped into serious adult contemporary here.  Hey, I warned you, it is random!  This is another amazingly pure, honest song about love. This is also my Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Sal's wedding song!!  Again, it is 1972.  As I have said before, Aunt Bobbie is and always will be my favorite person on the planet.  I always liked Sal (or Herman as the case may be) but on this day?????  Oh my GOD!  On this day HE was taking my Aunt Bobbie away from ME! (Yes, the world does revolve around me. shuttup) She promised me that we would have a special dance that day.  She had asked the band to play Close To You for US!  I couldn't wait.  Well, they played it while I was out taking pictures.  I was destroyed.  But, being the amazing person she is, she got them to play it again, just for us!  I then fell sound asleep in her lap at the podium! Who cared.  I knew I would always have my Aunt!  I still feel that way and I swear, everytime I see her, that feeling comes right back to me!

10. Saturday Night - Bay City Rollers 2:56 (Arista Records) LOL  LOL  LOL  I am sorry, this song just always makes me laugh and feel SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good!!!  I swear to you that I did not plan to book-end this post with the Fab Five From Scotland, nor did I plan to play Saturday Night on, well, Saturday night.  You all know the song, you can all hear it in your heads.  I am going to shuttup about it.

Crap!!!  I don't want this to end!!!  I am having way too much fun. (I know, it's sad.  shuttup) This has been a perfect day!  Scott, I am living the dream!!!  Thank you for reading and please keep the comments coming.  Who knows, I may do the next 10 tonight. Oh before I forget, I am working on creating a podcast for each post so you can hear the songs too, scratches and all!