Ticket 2 Ride

Every so often, I am reminded of the great music that I enjoyed during the summers of my youth. I cannot imagine a world without music. As soon as I was able, I started collecting music. In a world of streaming, that sounds ridiculous to many, but I grew up with the joy of vinyl, then CDs, enjoying artwork and reading liner notes. That’s a separate blog.

Whatever genre of music you love, hearing it on the car radio, outdoor parties, concerts, music in the park, or at the pool, in the bar – summer adds sweetness to the sound. There’s nothing quite as relaxing or as emotion-shifting as music. It’s a bit of a clique, but music enriches our experiences and serves as signposts for memories.

I remember the summer music of my youth, the early 1960s, playing on our car’s AM radio, television variety shows, my sister’s record player. Every kid at some point dreamed of being in a band, until the reality of music lessons.

“Red Rubber Ball,” Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Tom Dooley,” “Johnny Angel” are the first songs I remember, but everything changed because of The Beatles.

I became aware of The Beach Boys, The Dave Clark Five, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Roger Miller and Bobby Vinton.

Later in the decade it was still The Beatles, plus The Rolling Stones, The Mamas and Papas, Bob Dylan, The Monkees, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Glen Campbell, Bobby Goldsboro, Dionne Warwick, Jefferson Airplane, The Association and The Hollies.

The Beatles always had summer singles: “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Help!,” “Paperback Writer”/“Rain,” “Get Back,” and “The Long and Winding Road.”

The songs that I remember most from those late 1960s summers are: “California Girls,” “California Dreamin’,” “Summer in the City,” “Windy,” “I Got You Babe,” “I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Light My Fire” “Happy Together,” “(Sittin on) The Dock of the Bay,” “Hawaii 5-O,” “House of the Rising Sun,” “Daydream Believer,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” “A Beautifil Morning,” “Wild Thing,” “Sunny,” “This Guy’s in Love With You,” “Miserlou,” “Hungry,” “I’m Henery the Eighth, I Am,” “”Gentle on My Mind,” “Bus Stop,” “Hey Joe,” “One,” “Up, Up, and Away,” “MacArthur Par,” and “Somebody to Love.”

In the early 1970s, music seemed to diversify a bit, or my tastes began to evolve. I had a part time job and the radio was playing songs skewed more toward an older audience. I hung out there a lot during the summers so when Paul Harvey wasn’t telling us the rest of the story, it was a mashup of country, top 40 and easy listening. “Knock Three Times,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” “Take Me Home Country Roads,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” “You’ve Got a Friend,” “She’s a Lady,” “There Ain’t No Sunshine,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” Horse With No Name,” “Rose Garden,” “One Toke Over the Line,” “If,” “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo,” “When You’re Hot, You’re Hot,” “The Candy Man,” “American Pie,” “Brandy,” “Long Cool Woman,” “Garden Party,” “Burning Love,” “Kiss an Angel Good Morning,” “Taxi,” “Loving Her Was Easier,” “Delta Dawn,” “Behind Closed Doors,” “Dueling Banjos,” and “I’ll Take You There.”

Once I discovered FM radio, my tastes were more definitely rock. The summer I started buy used albums for cheap, I explored a lot of artists. It was a really good summer. Alice Cooper School’s Out, George Harrison All Things Must Pass, Derek and the Dominoes Layla, Deep Purple Made in Japan, Doobie Brothers What Were Vices Are Now Habits, The Who Who’s Next, Electric Light Orchestra Eldorado, King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King, Moody Blues In Search of the Lost Chord, Jethro Tull Benefit, Carole King Tapestry, Jefferson Airplane Volunteers, Yes Yessongs, Al Stewart Year of the Cat.

As I got older, busier and looked more at older, rather than newer music, my playlist changed very little.

Here would be my playlist if I so inclined:

“Evil Woman” ELO

“Pirates” ELP

“Ventura Highway” America

“Bargain” The Who

“Roundabout” Yes

“Rudy” Supertramp

“School’s Out” Alice Cooper Group

“California Dreamin’” The Mamas and the Papas

“Band on the Run” Paul McCartney & Wings

“Year of the Cat” Al Stewart

“One of These Nights” Eagles

“Miss You” The Rolling Stones

“Tush” ZZ Top

“Jet Airliner” Steve Miller Band

“Go Your Own Way” Fleetwood Mac

“Night Fever” Bee Gees

“Tumblin’ Dice” Linda Ronstadt

“Have a Cigar” Pink Floyd

“Searchin’ So Long” Chicago

“Just a Song Before I Go” Crosby, Stills & Nash

“China Grove” Doobie Brothers

“Do It Again” Steely Dan

“Haven’t Got Time For the Pain” Carly Simon

“If You Want to Get to Heaven” Ozark Mountain Daredevils

“Miracles” Jefferson Airplane

“Crazy On You” Heart

“Walk This Way” Aerosmith