Song 311: This week on the playlist you’ll find Drugs in the White House by Bob Nichols, who also wrote the song. Seven weeks after posting a track by my friend Jeff Larson, this week’s cut is by my late friend and former Berkeley housemate Bob Nichols, who died back in November of 2005. I was there at People’s Park in Berkeley on the day in 1980 when Bob did this performance, accompanied by a few friends, although at this point I no longer remember who the other players were. Bob made no secret of his advocacy for a chemically-enhanced lifestyle, and in the opening (and title) line of this recording, he celebrates the story that then-current President Jimmie Carter had a top advisor who admitted to having indulged in marijuana, possibly in the company of Mr. Carter. Bob was also a strong advocate for the homeless, who he helped in his community in quite a few extraordinary ways (check out his obituary), plus he was a strong advocate for People’s Park, so it’s fitting that he made one of his best recordings by performing live there. I do sometimes miss my old friend and former housemate, and I continue to listen to his music quite a bit. Over the years, his line “We are filling our lives with too much jive” has often come to mind, particularly at moments when I feel myself getting overloaded with stuff. In his chorus, Bob vows to keep on rockin’ no matter what happens, but while he obviously can’t do that any more, some of us can keep on rockin’ for him, while listening to his rockin’ recordings.
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