As a 12 year old kid I can remember sitting in by bedroom in Heidelberg Germany, listening to the Armed Forces Network (AFN) and thinking, man this music is the best ever. And in all honesty I have to say that that summer I became acutely aware of some really great music from bands that I hadn't really ever listened to before. I like to think of the summer of '77 as my musical awakening. Not sure why that summer because I had been a bit of a music nerd for as long as I could remember. I always sought refuge in music from the time I was very young. That summer though was when I really noticed how music could affect emotions. It was also the summer that my parents bought me my own first stereo. A really cool Garrard stereo with an AM/FM radio, turntable and cassette deck. I went crazy that summer buying new records at the sight and sound shop at the PX and well, I was in heaven. That summer also introduced me to the ability to record tapes. What? My favorite songs? I got to pick what music I listened to in the order that I wanted to listen to it? Are you kidding me? I made tapes for friends almost daily. That was amazing! So my odyssey with playlists was born!
I think the thing that I always thought was great about AFN was that they tried to cover the largest spectrum of music listeners in their programing so you may have heard a song by Tom T Hall and the next song was by Chicago followed by Boogie Nights by Heatwave. Many found that to be annoying, not me. I loved the wide variety of music and to this day I can't help to think that it was an important foundation for my love of so many styles of music. There were genre specific shows but they were after 5 in the afternoon and weekends. I specifically remember one show that came on between 7 and 9. I wish I could remember the guy because he was really good. He played pop music and well, I liked pop music. His show was where I first heard bands like Loggins and Messina, Firefall, England Dan and John Ford Coley, Mungo Jerry, King Harvest and Orleans. Throw in a healthy dose of Hall and Oates, Elton John, Bread, Chicago and Jim Croce and you had the makings of a summer day with a fantastic soundtrack. Writer Berthold Auerbach once wrote that "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." and I have always found that to be true. I can have a bad day and listen to a song that changes the way that I am looking at that day. I can go from being in a fowl mood to a happy mood by listening to a song. Perhaps it is that that song reminded me of a time that was less stressful or a day where everything seemed to go right, what ever the reason, I can use music to change the feeling of a day. Like knocking the dirt off the day.
For me summertime is my favorite time to kick back and listen to music. My playlists in the summertime always seem to be about just kicking back with friends under a cool shade tree or along a river bank and just enjoying the day. Summertime always seems to be so carefree. As an dad I love watching my daughters in the summertime just go about their lives. Days where everything seems so important yet not. Where they get out of bed at 10 or 11 in the morning (or later!). Days were they just don't care what they do that day. It is like time stands still. I get to hear them talk about music and while they may not be as into music as I was at their age, they still have music they love. I can hear them talking about their music on iTunes or concerts they want to go to but best of all they are sharing what they like together the same way that I and my brother did 34 summers ago. My daughters and I have the same discussions that I had with my dad. That is usually about how the music I had as a kid was so much better than what they have now! I am sure that 34 years from now, they will have the same discussions where they talk about how much better the music was when they were kids and so on and so on. Summertime is good for starting those discussions.
So, what would your favorite summertime playlist be? One of mine is below. Enjoy your summer. Enjoy your music and for heavens sake, share it with your friends.
Here is one of my summertime playlists!
Firefall - You Are the Woman
Orleans - Dance With Me
Looking Glass - Brandy
B.W. Stevenson - My Maria
Sammy Johns - Chevy Van
Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds - Don't Pull Your Love
The Grass Roots - Sooner or Later
The Lovin' Spoonful - Do You Believe In Magic
Pablo Cruise - Whatcha Gonna Do
Hall & Oates - Rich Girl
Wings - Silly Love Songs
Bread - Everything I Own
England Dan& John Ford Coley - I'd Really Love to See You Tonight
Starland Vocal Band - Afternoon Delight
Al Stewart - Year of the Cat
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By the Light
Electrick Light Orchestra - Sweet Talkin' Woman
10cc - The Things We Do For Love
Chicago - Beginnings
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