Snappy Flavoring

 Song 604: This week the playlist recognizes Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass, written by Elliot Lurie, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. 5 decades ago I headed south from my place in the Chicago region to hook up with my female companion in Atlanta, GA, soon after she had gone south. We spent a couple of weeks in a Christian commune at the Koinonia Farm, and then headed back north as I searched for the magical musical-business connection that would make me famous. We stayed with my partner's parents for a while in the Chicago suburbs, and as summer came along, we took a 2-week trip to the NYC area so I could have an appointment with a prominent Manhattan producer. While I don't remember the man's name or his office location, I do recall other moments on the ride, including special instants hearing this chart topper. My mate had worked as a waitress, though when customers asked her to fetch another round, it would have been food and non-alcoholic beverages because she didn't work layin' whiskey down, but what a good wife she would turn out to be. I always told the truth, if possible, as I tried to be an honest man, but when we both could feel the ocean fall and rise, what we saw in its ragin' glory would unfortunately take too long to understand, as I explain in my book Expecting the Broken Brain to Do Mental Pushups (I hope to have Edition 2 done soon).

Endless Timing

 Song 603: This week the playlist comes around to Everyday by Buddy Holly & the Crickets, written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. When the Beatles rocked my world 58 years ago in February, I knew nothing about the moving pioneers who had inspired them, such as a certain Buddy who had a backup band with an insect name. I wrongly thought the British Invaders had created RnR, and I didn’t learn the real story until the phase where, as an independent young adult, I could dig deeper into the sound that moved me. The HS night I first heard Peggy Sue (Song 454), I really savored it, but I had no idea it was a golden oldie from nearly 8 years before. In the early 1970s, as I found out more about the first generation rockers, I added some major classics to my LP collection, including a Holly greatest hits 33, so I got to hear, and relish, a bunch of ground-breaking sparklers like this entertaining ramble. It makes sense to feature Buddy this month as well as the Fab Four, since, sadly, Mr. Holly’s life ended with a plane crash on a February day in 1959. Not being a fan of the cold, I do feel glad that Everyday spring, it’s a-gettin’ closer, even though the low temperatures probably won’t be goin’ faster than a roller coaster, because, regardless of the thermometer reading, Everyday seems a little longer, and, in every way, the light’s a little stronger.

A Desired Connection

 Song 602: This week on the playlist you can hear I Want to Hold Your Hand by The Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. On Monday, February 10, 1964, while at junior high school, I kept hearing a word that I thought referred to a particular insect. I didn't partake in these conversations so I did not know the context of the mentions, and I considered the possibility that they might point to a remarkable new version of VW's most popular model, since it seemed unlikely that an insect species would stimulate extended discussions in the middle of winter in upstate NY. When, a couple of days later, I finally asked my playmate buddy what everyone was talking about, he found it amusing that the supposed smart kid of the neighborhood did not have a clue about that week's top story. My family and I had missed The Beatles' U.S. TV premier, and so, when Sunday night rolled around again, all 7 household members gathered in the living room just before The Ed Sullivan Show hit the airwaves. Soon after the Fab Four took the stage, my older brother said, "This is just junk. Let's turn this off!" My parents and grandparents strongly agreed with him, but my younger brother and I felt captivated by what we had seen and heard, and we insisted on watching the entire segment, so we all did. The quartet closed their set with this 45, which had already hit number 1 in the U.S. by mid-January. So now I'll tell you something I think you'll understand - before that February 1964 moment, I might have enjoyed the orchestra and chorus rambles that I had ridden along with as a team player, but I had not imagined any specific kind of musical future for myself personally. The night John, Paul, George and Ringo rocked my world, they also gave me a resounding example of a melodic way that I could jazz up my own life by riding the notes.

Foundering Response

 Song 601: This week the playlist comes around to Breakdown by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, written by Tom Petty, and you can find a YouTube video of it by clicking on the title. On Friday evening, December 2, 1977, shortly before digging through the final chilly Chicago winter that I endured while planning to head towards the West Coast moderate climate when the warmer temperatures returned, I joined the crowd at the Riviera Theater showing up to see Elvis Costello perform. I knew nothing about the other act, but after witnessing a very impressive set, they definitely sparked my interest. When I spent the next decade residing in the East Bay, I had the privilege of savoring 2 more TP&HB appearances, and I also expanded my LP collection with a bunch of their 33s, including their premier disc which featured this gem and a number of other sparklers. When Tom left the land of the living a few years ago, I mourned his departure, as did a cluster of my musician friends. Recently on Twitter, someone representing his music asked the question about the first Petty song people had heard, and so far, I haven't found the Riviera Theater 12/2/77 set list, but this swinger did cross my ears that night, and it has many times since, because that first LP got lots of turntable spins, and the mp3 version climbed onto my players at some point a while back. As Tom tells us all here, there is no sense in pretending when your eyes give you away, so if something inside you is feeling like I do, then I've said all there is to say.