Earlier, I began to explain why I have such trouble keeping the music of the BFMS era clearly defined. When I purchase music, I can usually remember more details about where I was when I bought it and it makes it easier to say “This song belongs to that era!” With BFMS, I was listening to the radio so much more than I ever did. I was around people who let me have limited access to their records. It all get jumbled up. My concern is that I’ll include a song into the BFMS era and later have it brought to my attnetion that the song I thought I listened to on the radio in 1978 actually wasn’t released until 1980. In fact I struggle with this in my mind. Obviously, I’d like to be as accurate as possible in this self discovery but then the other hemisphere of my brain says “Just go with how you remember it without endless research into dates and times. Afterall, you must remembere it this way for some reason” Perhaps that reason my be some subliminal key that shouldn’t be overlooked.
So in a more free association approach, I’m going to just think if the radio in the BFMS era and share with you the first things that come to mind.
Paul Simon – Slip Sliding Away
This one reminds me of skiing. I almost taste those Charleston Chew bars.
Little River Band – Lady
Dan Hill – Sometimes When We Touch
This is another one of those songs that is linked to a moment. I used to take skiing lesson on Mt Ascutney on Saturdays. In the morming we’d all pile on a bus and ride up there. The bus driver played the radio for everybody. One day as I was getting on the bus, not only was Sometime When We Touch playing on the radio, but this pretty blonde girl that I had a mild crush on named Leisl was singing along. She was just having fun but as I climbed up the stairs, our eyes met and I was sure that she was singing it to me. Of course she probably doesn’t remember that moment like I do and she probably doesn’t even remember who I am but for a few seconds on a Saturday morning in the cold blue light of snow, we were in love and this was our song,
Debbie Boone – You Light up My Life
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band – Blinded By The Light
At this point in my life, I had never heard of Bruce Springsteen. Years later after picking up some Bruce and finding this was a Springsteen song, it seems so obvious.