Man, I’ve been doing this “Why It Matters” bit a long time. Are you still listening?
Leave me a little comment, let me know you’re out there. Writing is often like shouting into the wind — I know I’m making noise, but I don’t know if anyone can hear it.
This week’s playlist is really selfish. It’s a bunch of my earliest favorite songs, many of which led to WIM stories. Enjoy:
“I’ve Just Seen A Face,” The Beatles. The earliest favorite song that I can remember, and I still love it. Featured in WIM’s first story.
“Ya Ya,” Lee Dorsey. I humiliated myself at show and tell with this first grade favorite.
“I Can See Clearly Now,” Johnny Nash. I have the fuzziest memory of watching Johnny Nash perform this on a daytime talk show. I was seated next to my mother in our tiny Denver working class living room.
“Magic,” Pilot. I was 8 years old when this came out, and I thought it was the coolest song ever.
“Black Superman – Muhammad Ali,” Johnny Wakelin. Come on, every kid loved Ali.
“Hold Your Head Up,” Argent. Nothing sounded like this. Still doesn’t.
“For What It’s Worth,” Buffalo Springfield. This is what I imagined grown-up life sounded like. I don’t know why — my parents were incredibly straight.
“Crazy On You,” Heart. This one hit me in the gut and the crotch. I think the Wilson sisters may have forced me into early puberty.
“Could This Be Magic,” Barry Manilow. Yeah, I went through an early childhood Manilow phase, what’s it to you?
Okay, that’s probably enough. Thanks for indulging me. What about you — favorite songs from early childhood? I’m listening.
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Categories: Deep Cuts
Why It Matters 
I always read your writing but sorry, I do not always post. I very much enjoy them and probably should post but I am usually reading them at work and don’t find the time to post. My early favorites are long before yours because I am 63 years old. my early favorites are Hendrix, Beatles, Yardbirds, and many of the local bands I heard live around the Detroit area like Iggy and the Stooges, Bob Seger, and Grand Funk Railroad. Spent a lot of time at the Grande Ballroom and saw many great bands. Keep on writing!
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Thanks for dropping in, Kevin. All great bands that I learned to love — I envy you being there when they were happening!
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It’s a Hard Day’s Night. Surely not my earliest musical memory but it stands out because it was in a compilation 8-track of songs from “musicals” that played in the parents’ car. The old man hated The Beatles and was mightily resentful it and one other undesirable song were included in a compilation of “quality” songs that include Singin’ in the Rain, How Are Things in Glocca Morra, and Brigadoon. He skipped over it every time it played so the only opportunity I had to hear more than the first few bars was when he was running into a store for an errand and left me in the car. I flipped the keys over, pushed that 8-track to switch songs as quickly as possible, and listened to It as long as it was safe.
The other song on the 8-track that was total ear cocaine? “Here’s to You, Mrs. Robinson.” When it won a Grammy, the old man knew for sure that America was in danger of losing its appreciation of good music.
It’s pretty amazing he ever bought that 8-track. It was probably on clearance.
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Brilliant. That would make a wonderful story, get to writing!
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Honky Cat
Alone again, naturally
Garden party
It never rains in Southern California
My dad was a jazz and classical guy, but let these songs play on the radio in the car, and I loved them, I thought they were so rocking compared to Brubeck and Bach .
When I hear them now, I am transported back to our orange vw camper, driving home from Galveston to Houston. When we got home, my mom would give us celery with cream cheese on it, and 7up with a marichino cherry in it. The music was different in the house, though sometimes we would all just sit and watch Julia Child. The beach is very tiring.
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Why aren’t you people writing WIM stories? These are great. You write ’em, I’ll post ’em!
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Haha! FineDon’t tempt me!
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Veeeerrryyy first? Oh lord, *buries head in hands* “Sugar Sugar” The Archies. And to put the final shovelful on the idea that I had a cool bone in my body, if I heard it right now, I’d totally dance down the hallway and back.
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Heck yeah you would. We never forget our first.
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Now don’t forget I’m much older than you so here goes….
The earliest 45 I remember playing to death was Roy Lee Johnson – Black Pepper Makes You Sneeze – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p6EUEUttrQ
Then there was the obligatory Monkees album, my first official album which was their second “More of The Monkees“ only because my bitch of an older sister got the first one.
I also remember Don Fardon – The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian (1968) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=938gYbQyw_M — not Paul Revere & The Raiders – Indian Reservation (Cherokee People) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ6RjP7MlXk – not sure why I thought it was so cool but I was seven.
We had music playing all the time in the house which was primarily eastern european/ethnic in nature but also had the likes of Johnny Cash, Harry Belafonte, Chet Atkins and more filter in.
Unfortunately my big break came too late in my life for this post, but because I’m old, cranky, and know better than all of you young punks, it was Mona Bone Jakon that turned the world upside down for me. I was nine. Never the same afterwards.
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On a side note, the only thing I ever thought was cool about Paul Revere & the Raiders was the George Barris custom hot rod….
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No lie. I saw Paul revere, etc, open for the Monkees at Mariotts Great America in San Jose.
I did, no really!
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Oh, come on! Write some WIM stories for crying out loud!
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Here’s 20 that come to mind in no particular order:
“I’ll Get You” – The Beatles
“Last Train To Clarksville” – The Monkees
“Barbara Ann” – The Beach Boys
“Jive Talkin” – Bee Gees
“Joy To The World” – Three Dog Night
“Play That Funky Music” – Wild Cherry
“The Loco-Motion” – Grand Funk Railroad
“Johnny B. Goode” – Chuck Berry
“Fame” – David Bowie
“Flowers On The Wall” – The Statler Brothers
“Brandy” – Looking Glass
“Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix
“Annie’s Song” – John Denver
“Burning Love” – Elvis Presley
“Ramblin’ Man” – Waylon Jennings
“School’s Out” – Alice Cooper
“Kung Fu Fighting” – Carl Douglas
“China Grove” – The Doobie Brothers
“I Can Help” – Billy Swan
“Crocodile Rock” – Elton John
Maybe I was the only one, but not every kid loved Ali. I never did like him when I was young. I remember being as happy as a little girl with a new pony when Norton broke his jaw!
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Okay, so you’re the one ’70s kid who didn’t like Ali. Always the rebel.
Love your list — could just as easily be mine, though I’d substitute “Black Water” for “China Grove.” I was borderline obsessed with that song for a short period of my early childhood.
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