Note: Mike and I attended the same junior and senior high schools.
Theme from a Summer Place...closed each Friday's Sports Night when the ASB President announced that it was "the last dance of the night."
Every girl hoped that their current crush would ask for this dance. Even if it was the first time you'd been asked to dance all night, it held high esteem in the world of middle school romance.
Not gonna lie. It still makes me swoon a bit when I listen to it. The power of melody to whisk you away to a different time and place...
I remember Summer Place... struck terror in my teenage heart. What I most remember is the profound impact the Beatles made on my teenage life when I really need it, and on my dear friend throughout JHS and HS. He was not only a superb guitarist with a tremendous memory for song lyrics and chords (something my dyslexic brain struggled to do well). My favorite memory was how adept my friend was at forging the autographs of all four beatles... we could have made money, but no, he just autographed our notebooks, bookcovers (ask a kid today what a book cover is!), and math papers... which cost him a point on a test that ended up making the difference in his end of year grade. Singing We Can Work it Out (Try to See it My Way) made no difference... while the lousy math grade stood, it no longer matters in life; but the Beatle song and the perfect autographs are enduring
Love this and the way you talked about your big, wonderful musical home. What a blessing to take with you into this decade of our lives. So much fun..with the band practicing in your garage. I was always a groupie! And the Beatles! I think they were the highlight of our musical journey in high school, or at least that is how I remember it!
Hey Mike… thanks for triggering great memories. Yes, music matters. Back in the late 60’s, Simon and Garfunkel got me through Bible school - Bridge over Troubled Waters. Then, early 70’s, Jim Croce got me through seminary. Time in a Bottle. Rapid Roy. LeRoy Brown. Car Wash Blues - “Well, all I can do is to shake my head - You might not believe that it's true, For workin' at this end of Niagara Falls is an undiscovered Howard Hughes…” And then it was Andre Crouch who gave me a song list for my youth choir - “I don’t know why Jesus loved me, I don’t know why He cared… I don’t know why He sacrificed his life, Oh but I’m glad, so glad He did.” To this very day, at age 77, you’ll find me hurtling down the 210 Freeway in full voice singing along to all the above. PS I also remember you strumming that guitar as a high school kid. Roll out the barrel!
Growing up, one of my chores to earn my weekly allowance was dusting the living room. That included applying the dust cloth to racks and racks of 33 records, mostly jazz. Every Saturday, I "met" with Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. Their album covers were imprinted in my mind and their music (playing on the stereo) instilled deeply in my heart. There also were others like Herb Alpert, Eddy Arnold, and Marilyn Maye.
I met singer Marilyn Maye (as widely known as the most frequent guest on the Johnny Carson Show as for her incomparable jazz voice) at Jardine's jazz club in Kansas City. She was warm and endearing when she asked about my parents after I told her what a favorite she was of theirs. They were both many years gone by then and never met Marilyn Maye but quite specially this moment gave me my parents' love for music (particularly my mom's) again, alive and vibrant, and connected us all, mom, dad, Marilyn, and me.
Mike,
Do you remember this one?
Note: Mike and I attended the same junior and senior high schools.
Theme from a Summer Place...closed each Friday's Sports Night when the ASB President announced that it was "the last dance of the night."
Every girl hoped that their current crush would ask for this dance. Even if it was the first time you'd been asked to dance all night, it held high esteem in the world of middle school romance.
Not gonna lie. It still makes me swoon a bit when I listen to it. The power of melody to whisk you away to a different time and place...
I remember Summer Place... struck terror in my teenage heart. What I most remember is the profound impact the Beatles made on my teenage life when I really need it, and on my dear friend throughout JHS and HS. He was not only a superb guitarist with a tremendous memory for song lyrics and chords (something my dyslexic brain struggled to do well). My favorite memory was how adept my friend was at forging the autographs of all four beatles... we could have made money, but no, he just autographed our notebooks, bookcovers (ask a kid today what a book cover is!), and math papers... which cost him a point on a test that ended up making the difference in his end of year grade. Singing We Can Work it Out (Try to See it My Way) made no difference... while the lousy math grade stood, it no longer matters in life; but the Beatle song and the perfect autographs are enduring
Love this and the way you talked about your big, wonderful musical home. What a blessing to take with you into this decade of our lives. So much fun..with the band practicing in your garage. I was always a groupie! And the Beatles! I think they were the highlight of our musical journey in high school, or at least that is how I remember it!
Hey Mike… thanks for triggering great memories. Yes, music matters. Back in the late 60’s, Simon and Garfunkel got me through Bible school - Bridge over Troubled Waters. Then, early 70’s, Jim Croce got me through seminary. Time in a Bottle. Rapid Roy. LeRoy Brown. Car Wash Blues - “Well, all I can do is to shake my head - You might not believe that it's true, For workin' at this end of Niagara Falls is an undiscovered Howard Hughes…” And then it was Andre Crouch who gave me a song list for my youth choir - “I don’t know why Jesus loved me, I don’t know why He cared… I don’t know why He sacrificed his life, Oh but I’m glad, so glad He did.” To this very day, at age 77, you’ll find me hurtling down the 210 Freeway in full voice singing along to all the above. PS I also remember you strumming that guitar as a high school kid. Roll out the barrel!
Growing up, one of my chores to earn my weekly allowance was dusting the living room. That included applying the dust cloth to racks and racks of 33 records, mostly jazz. Every Saturday, I "met" with Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, and Ella Fitzgerald. Their album covers were imprinted in my mind and their music (playing on the stereo) instilled deeply in my heart. There also were others like Herb Alpert, Eddy Arnold, and Marilyn Maye.
I met singer Marilyn Maye (as widely known as the most frequent guest on the Johnny Carson Show as for her incomparable jazz voice) at Jardine's jazz club in Kansas City. She was warm and endearing when she asked about my parents after I told her what a favorite she was of theirs. They were both many years gone by then and never met Marilyn Maye but quite specially this moment gave me my parents' love for music (particularly my mom's) again, alive and vibrant, and connected us all, mom, dad, Marilyn, and me.