Do you remember the music from your very young years? Not children’s music, but adult music. I can, and I feel like it has informed the music I like to listen to now.
When I was very young Mom and Dad had lots of records and I can remember all of them. When I hear the music now it brings back memories of those years.
Mom and Dad built our house on Mistletoe Lane in 1968 and we moved in just before I turned five. The music is one of the first things I remember.
Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra – there were three of those albums. And for the times they were probably groundbreaking, but of course I didn’t know that.
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass’ Whipped Cream and Other Delights. Remember the lady in whipped cream on the album cover? I later found out her name is Dolores Erickson and she is still alive and 85 years young. Herb is also still with us and also 85.
And who can ever forget “The Queen of Jazz” with the smoothest voice ever, Ella Fitzgerald? She and Louis Armstrong made three albums together and we had all of them. “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and “Autumn in New York.” Many have tried but no one sang them better than they did.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet was another and I am fairly certain we had several of his albums.
And, of course, there was always Barbra Streisand.
These days I am open to almost any music genre. Although I didn’t grow up with opera I love it and have been to the opera several times. If you get a chance listen to “The Flower Duet” by Lakme. Possibly the most beautiful song ever written in my humble opinion. It will leave you wanting to hear more opera. Do not, however, Google the words. It’s just a bunch of flowery music about flowers written in French, a flowery romance language.
I have to admit I didn’t love rap music when it first came out, but I do like it now. I think I didn’t understand it at fi r s t .
I went through a country music phase in high school but that didn’t last long. If there were a radio station that played Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Glen Campbell and the like I would definitely listen to it.
The 1980s was when I was young and going out to clubs and dancing. I think people either love 80s music or hate it, but I loved it all and still do. Houston had a radio station that played only 80s music and listening to it would always bring back fun memories from that time in my life. Madonna, Michael Jackson, Depeche Mode. It all takes me back.
In the above-mentioned house on Mistletoe Lane, one of the latest things Mom and Dad added to it was an intercom system. I remember having a lot of fun with it when we were very young, but the thing I remember most was listening to the music of the 1970s though it. The Carpenters (and it’s a shame we only get to hear Karen’s rare contralto voice at Christmas anymore), Earth Wind and Fire, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Billy Joel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Three Dog Night, Joni Mitchell, Janis Ian to name but a few.
Starting with Mrs. Barbara McKee and on to Don Thoede and Jim Perry I have a love of band and orchestral music. I can listen to that all day every day. Weren’t we were lucky in Rockdale to have such wonderful people to give us all a love of music?
I love how music can bring you back to a time and place even long, long ago and put a smile on your face.
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