Songs 15-21
15. A Summer Song â Chad and Jeremy
It was their second big song, after their initial hit âYesterdayâs Goneâ and C&Jâs biggest hit in the United States. It was the summer of 1964, I was eight years old, and I didnât have a clue what the song was about. It didnât matter; the harmonies made me feel sad and happy and emotions I had no name for. It was the first time I realized that music and harmony could make you feel something. It was the first time I fell in love with a song. I seldom hear this song any more, and I donât own it. The local oldies stations donât play it much, and I donât listen to the local oldies stations much anyhow. But when this song and I cross paths, it still makes me drop everything and listen. For a few minutes, Iâm that eight-year-old kid all over again, rediscovering music for the first time.
16. Blue Moon â the doo wop version by The Marcels
(I *refuse* to apologize â itâs just plain fun to listen to music made by people who are having fun.) I loved Doo Wop on the radio as a young child, and hearing it always makes me feel good. The Marcelsâ Blue Moon reminds me of how it feels to be young and to listen to music without the filters of acquired taste and peer expectations.
17. As Time Goes By â written by Herman Hupfeld
Play it, Sam. I found out while pulling this list together that Dooley Wilson never recorded a single of this. He would, of course, been my first choice, but Sinatraâs version will do.
18. Stones in the Road â Please donât make me choose between Baez and Carpenter . Carpenter wrote it, but they both own it.
19. Silent Lucidity â Queensryche
I have my reasons.
20. Cherish â The Association
My first slow dance ever. My first love. My first broken heart. Our first song.Nostalgia.
21. Iâll Be There â Jackson Five
From that same first love. We both believed the lyrics at the time. I miss being young and foolish some days.
Number 19 is one of my all-time favorites. For some reason I’m slightly surprised to see it on your list. For some reason it’s always reminded me of some of Pink Floyd’s better music.
Cherish.
Swoon.
Those were the days eh?
The confused and poignant days…
I don’t think I’ve heard "A Summer Song" before, but it reminds me strongly of something else I can’t name at the moment. That’s a strange chord at the end.
Dad was from the era of Sinatra and had a great album Sinatra did in his later years of movie music. When I made the music tape for our wedding I borrowed a few records for it, and I grabbed that one while I was at it, although I didn’t use any of the songs on it. I’ve conveniently "forgotten" to return the records which turned out okay because Dad was the only one who ever listened to them, and I don’t think even he ever realized they didn’t come back. Frank’s voice was beautiful and mellow by that point, his artistry beyond compare. Anyway, I looked to see if your song was on that album. It wasn’t, though. It has "Moon River" and "Days of Wine and Roses", among others. I’ll have to give it a spin later today when I’m done listening to your songs.
"Cherish" was in several books of sheet music for flute that I had as a kid, probably because the melody line is easy with so many repeated notes. Because of the repetition I didn’t really like it. I also had a David Cassidy album (*blush*) with that song on it, and of course, I’ve heard The Association’s version over the years. I gave the Cassidy version a listen a few years ago and surprised myself by suddenly appreciating it. I now hear lots of harmonic interest in the chords under it, and Cassidy delivers it quite tenderly.
The Jackson Five. I can’t help hearing anything by them now without thinking, "that poor little boy." No one could have known then. It makes me sad. He had such a spark in his performances, and he understood singing and phrasing even at that age.