I seem to have a gift for remembering useless information. There is a station in L.A. called Jack FM which plays an eclectic mix of music. I was listening to Steve Wonder's "Superstition" then "Only The Good Die Young" came on.
Seton Hall University, a Catholic college, was not far from where I grew up. They had a great radio station. When I heard the Billy Joel song yesterday, I remembered there was a big controversy regarding the lyrics. It was on the local news and in the papers. Would the DJs be able to play a song with the lyrics "Come out Virginia. Don't make wait. You Catholic girls start much too late"? Yes, things were more innocent then. If the song was released today, I'm sure the lyrics would be much worse and the song would get airplay no problem.
I was a little young when the album (there were no CDs in 1977) came out, but my friend's older siblings all had it. I own the CD and play it often, I am PCB Billy Joel fan, (that would be Pre Christine Brinkley). I think the biggest single off the album was "Just The Way You Are". I always liked "She's Always a Woman". Could you imagine a man writing those word about you? I believe he wrote the song about a girlfriend. "Movin' Out", "Scences From An Italian Restaurant", and "The Stranger"' seem so NY/NJ to me.
When I got to college a student from "do or die Bed-Sty" said to me "Yo, WTF is up with your music?" I was so naive. I didn't think anything was wrong with playing U.T.F.O. and Mr. Joel. LOL
Would love to hear from other bloggers/posters which songs bring back random memories.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
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12 comments:
T.K. in Ohio here! First off, B. Joel's She's Always a Woman was/is one of the most beautiful songs ever written I believe. Every time I hear it, I never hesitate to sing along - including the humming part! (LOL!) Secondly: song w/random memories: More than a Feeling by Boston; in Jr.High, a guy who wasn't so particularly attractive played electric guitar & performed that song in the cafeteria after school one day. After that - he was Bon Jovi rock star status as far as us girls were concerned! (LOL!) Now, every time I hear that song, I think of 'Rick' & how he was 'transformed.'!
I have a big soft spot for "Sara Smile" by Hall & Oates - for obvious reasons (actually their Rock & Soul album is great), but I also think it's a beautiful song for the lyrics and it was around when I was born so I guess I like to think it had good memories for my parents.
i'm a billy joel fan, my uncle used to play it in the car when he would take me riding around.
anything from urban cowboy takes me back! if i hear west end boys or steppin out, i'm right back in 4th grade. i remember telling a girl in 3rd grade on the playground that we would have to pretend that we were "jessie's girls"--i was never one of those that didn't like boys, i was totally going to marry rick springfield, simon lebon, or george michael, although the latter might have had a bit of one-sided chemistry. chucky's in love makes me think of running errands with my mom in our old green LTD and sexual healing will ALWAYS bring to mind an image of michael booker (1st grade classmate) walking around the class after nap time with his afro waking everybody up saying "wakeupwakeup getupgetup..."
i could go on like this forever, but i'll spare you :)
OH! how could i forget the xanadu soundtrack? ELO AND olivia newton'john? i wanted an aura too and i thought she was soooo pretty.
Led Zeppelin. Fool in the Rain. Reminds me of childhood. Of hanging out with our brother and his friends (all guys of course) and horsing around. As a young kid, I felt so cool to be in their little crew (sometimes) and this song (and MANY other led zep songs) brings back happy memories of living an idilic childhood in the burbs (gross hemogeny aside - 8 year olds don't recognize that stuff). The funny thing is, Led Zep was old school when I was a kid!
If i had to pick a contemporary song for this, it would be...wait for it..."can you stand the rain." man. i'm getting teary eyed just thinking about it. :(
ok, one more. 1997. just graduated college. Was working at short hills mall waiting to get a full time job. Driving home one summer night, the windows down, hot 97 blaring. They play, for the first time, busta rhymes "put your hands where my eyes can see." it was so hot, they dropped a bomb on it, and played it two more times. I remember thinking that this was one of the hottest songs I'd ever heard. And it was the song of the summer.
What, a girl can't like led zep, new edition and busta rhymes? :)
Gloria by Laura Branigan. My first English record. I sang my little heart out.
T.K iin Ohio - re: Rick, see that is the power of music. :)
Ms Adventures - "Sara Smile" is one of my favorite songs. Very beautiful.
Tracie B - don't feel bad about George Michael. I was going to marry Michael Jackson until Thriller came out. Love the album but when he started kicking it with Webster, it was over.
gibber - I remember when that Busta track hit and the Hype Williams directed video. Great, great song, that bass line? Amazing. re: Led Zep, wasn't there a station that at 9:00 p.m. would have a "Get the Led out" hour?
rose - wow, I haven't heard that song in ages. Why do I still know the lyrics but sometimes have trouble remember basic italian words?
I didn't comment here sooner as I have so many songs which remind me of so many things! It's hard to pick one, or even two :)
I've just downloaded "She's always a woman to me". TBH it doesn't remind me of anything. Doing a quick google it looks like it was released in 1977 and so that's why it doesn't remind me of anything. That's the year I was born you see. Maybe it remind my parents of ME! :)
When I was younger my best friend told me (with all the confidence in her voice of the young) that she was going to marry Michael Jackson and have 12 children by him, but at the same time as you, when he started hanging out with Webster that fantasy was over.
I remember going to a Billy Joel Concert in 1990 in NJ. It was awesome, the weather was great and I had a fun day. so all Billy Joel Songs remind me of that era.
delina - yes, it's an oldie but goodie. my sister told me songs from the 80s are now being played on the classic stations. that is just not right.
j. doe - 12 children with Michael Jackson. wow I thought maybe two at the most. :)
oooh, sweet memories. Billy Joel is right up at the top there. As are a lot of the artists mentioned here.
Isn't it incredible how music touches us so powerfully at some of the most important times of our lives?
I think some of the best songs were what my sister and I call 'summer songs'... all our radio favorites right before we spent two years living 1000 miles apart while we were teenagers.
Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, If this is it, Miss me Blind, Eyes without a face... there's about a hundred and they're all listed here:
http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id223.htm
Good times.
Now my favorite songs change weekly. ha ha... no lists. Much too much to choose from.
Scarlett
scarlett, thanks for the 80s link!
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