Music - Light and Dark
This is a brief riff on
music. Keep in mind that, as I have
noted in prior posts, music was the backdrop of both my formative years and my
entire life.
In my books “Surfing
Through Time, Books One and Two,”
I started each chapter
with a song excerpt. Because the books have surfing as a major theme, many of
the songs have a surfing meme, and, in turn, many of them are little known. Throughout, in the ocean or elsewhere, music
was the “soundtrack” to pretty much everything we did. When we were working at something, we found a
song about it (or at least we thought so) and identified the two together. I know others do that too.
I have written a few songs
myself, both melody and lyrics. I put
some of them up on YouTube on the “Will Somers Surfing Channel (see below)”. Thanks to my sister Jerri, they get better,
and she has contributed significantly to several of them.
There are a few more,
mostly surfing themed. At one point, I
thought about putting sixteen songs on an album, putatively titled “Surf Both
Coasts” with songs tracing surfing trips up and down the coasts of the
Americas. I may still do that, time and
health permitting.
It goes on. Late in 2019, I had the unexpected pleasure
of sitting next to Mike Stoller at a Broadway show. Mike, of course is one half of the famous
song-writing team of Lieber and Stoller, who wrote many of Elvis Presley’s top
hits, as well as those of vocal groups including the Coasters, the Cheers and
the Drifters; much of the song track we grew up with. I sent Mike and his wife a letter afterwards,
and while the contents were personal, I was pleased and gratified by the
response I got from them and their son.
At eighty-five, Mike still gets it.
As for me, well, I still
listen. And, interestingly, many of the
songs mentioned below are from the nineteen-eighties vintage. They are not all happy. Many of them have mixed roots. My comments below are after brief studies,
and your thoughts and views may be more valid than mine. On the other hand, as the saying goes “I
can’t get these out of my head…”
Holiday Road – Lindsay
Buckingham – Copyright by Lindsey Buckingham – 1983I first heard this in the
movie of the same name. The way it was
used, as Chevy Chase dreamed about Christie Brinkley, is brilliant. So, then I went back and watched Buckingham’s
original video. For every person,
fantasy is part of life. Kudos to all
involved.
Smugglers Blues – Glenn
Frey – Copyright by Glenn Frey and Jack Tempchin – 1984 – While Holiday Road is a
slightly dark fantasy, this song is gritty and real. I’ve probably watched the video ten
times. Back in the late 1980’s, I went
to Warner Brothers Studios and saw the Miami Vice version of this. Again, kudos to all, and all too true.
Somewhere Near Japan – The
Beach Boys - Copyright by Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, John Phillips and Terry
Melcher – 1989 – This song has an interesting history. John Phillips of “The Mamas and Papas” wrote
the original version (Fairy Tale Girl), which is purportedly about an effort to
help his daughter. I do not know, but we
all want to help someone. Melcher, Love
and Johnston orchestrated it and made it unforgettable.
Make it Big – The Beach
Boys – Copyright by Mike Love, Bill House, Terry Melcher – 1989 – This song has its
origin in a light movie called Beverly Hills Troop. The movie is cute, and so is the song. We all want to “make it big.”
Come On Eileen – Dexy’s Midnight
Runners – Copyright by Kevin Rowland, Jim Paterson, Billy Adams – 1982 - I liked this song when
it came out, but it didn’t get its hooks in until I saw a video of a woman from
a little three college group singing it.
Her rendition was dead on, and I haven’t gotten it out of my head since. The low key request in the title captures a
certain part and strata of life pretty well.
We Built This City – (Jefferson) Starship –
Copyright Bernie Taupin, Martin Page,
Dennis Lambert, Peter Wolf – 1985 – Once again, kudos to both
the writers and the impassioned singer, Mickey Thomas (as well as Grace
Slick). Yeah, if you go back to 1966-68,
San Francisco was built on Rock ’n Roll.
Some people (including many I know) don’t think so but look at the real
estate values.
These are brief cuts.
Next year there will be new flavors.
Hope you like these.
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