1969 (Revisited)

4-16-09 1969 (Revisited)

1969 is already 40 years ago. Moon landing! Woodstock! I was still young enough to listen to the AM radio (as well as the beginning of free form FM radio). I was still in elementary school. None of my obsessions with rock music had yet fully developed. I knew I liked British records, but I probably only had a few of them in 1969 (ones my father bought for me). I remember (and in some cases, can’t forget) every song on this 1969 list:

The Foundations – “Build Me Up Buttercup” (I have a “Best Of” CD, and I prefer “Back On My Feet Again” or “Baby Now That I Found You”.)

Neil Diamond – “Sweet Caroline” (My mother liked / likes this song, so no need to own it or hear it any more than necessary.)

Steam – “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” (Believe it or not, I actually bought a 45 of this at the Singer Sewing Machine store for 59 cents!)

Spiral Staircase – “More Today Than Yesterday” (I hear this song way too much, on oldies radio in 2009 – way too much.)

Dusty Springfield – “Son of a Preacher Man” (I have a “Best Of” CD with many tracks.)

Frank Sinatra – “My Way” (I have a Reprise label “Best Of” CD with many tracks.)

Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Proud Mary” & “Bad Moon Rising” (Yes, I was a fan, but…boy did these ever get over-played!)

The Beatles – “Something” & “Come Together” (2 x “Abbey Road” singles; I remember riding my bike to the straight record store to get this LP on the day it came out.)

The Archies – “Sugar Sugar” (No comment. Really.)

Tammy Wynette – “Stand By Your Man” (I probably like this better now than I did back then.)

The Doors – “Touch Me” (Decent Doors 45, great sax solo.)

The Rolling Stones – “Honky Tonk Women” (I hear this song way too much, on oldies radio in 2009 – way too much.)

B.J. Thomas – “Hooked On A Feeling” (Not my favorite song, but this is preferable to the – ugh – Blue Swede version.)

The Temptations – “I Can’t Get Next To You” (a fine R&B hit for ’69.)

The Friends of Distinction – “Grazin’ In The Grass” (I prefer the Hugh Masakela version, but this is still a good R&B hit for ’69.)

Classics IV featuring Dennis Yost – “Traces” (I have their “Best Of” CD, but not necessarily for this song – I am more of a fan of “Spooky” or “Stormy”.)

The Ventures – “Hawaii 5-0” (I have a “Best Of” CD with many tracks.)

I was riding my bike everywhere; watching a lot of television; trying to have long hair; spending a lot of time listening to LP’s; in elementary school; If I was listening to this mainstream stuff, the ‘progressive rock’ bug had yet to bite. In an other-worldly universe, the debut King Crimson LP came out, “In The Court of the Crimson King”.

FM radio was playing Crosby, Stills & Nash, Steppenwolf, and Three Dog Night. I was also playing Frank Zappa records – I wanted to “listen and believe”.