Sunday, January 22, 2012

My Soul's Music

I've just sat in front of the television for two hours watching and listening to a PBS show called "My Music - 60's Pop, Rock and Soul".  I was 11 when 1959 turned into 1960, and 21 when 1969 became 1970 so the music of the 60s was the first music I was aware of in a major way.  I still feel that the music of the 60s was the best ever and I listen to 'oldies' radio stations whenever I can...although the oldies stations now think the music of the 80s is 'old'.  Imagine!

Anyway, back to the last two hours.  The show was hosted by Davy Jones (Monkees) and Peter Noone (Hermans Hermits)...much older now than when I used to sit in front of the television with my roommates and watch The Monkees TV show on our 12 inch black and white television which hung on a birdcage holder in our apartment.  Davy (I feel I can call him by his first name since I've loved him for so long!) sang Daydream Believer and Peter sang Henry the Eighth, I'm Into Something Good, and There's a Kind of Hush.  I'm sure all of you remember those songs...all of you over 50 anyway!

What is it about the music of our youth that makes us wax nostalgic for the 'good old days'?  In my case it's the absolute certainty I have that the 60s were the best decade to grow up in.  Times were easier then. Schools had a dress code (modest dresses and/or skirts for the girls, no jeans for the boys), we weren't tied to computers, cell phones, and all the other portable electronics that keep us from intereacting face-to-face with people.  Fast food hadn't become daily fare found on every corner.  It was a decade of change though.  Remember the hippies, ironing your long hair, the concept of free love?  It was an exciting time to be a teenager...and the music was absolutely amazing.  And in 1964 I met the boy who would eventually become my husband.

Back to the music I was listening to tonight.  Remember Chad and Jeremy's 'Summer Song'?  And such groups as Jefferson Airplane (White Rabbit), The Kingsmen (Louis, Louis), Paul Revere and the Raiders (Kicks), and of course Sonny and Cher (I Got You Babe), my alltime favorite The Mamas and Papas (California Dreaming and many others), not to mention the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Animals, Cowsills, BeeGees, and artists such as Bobby Vinton and Roy Orbison.  Is it any wonder I love the music of the 1960s so much!

What was fun about watching tonight's program was watching the audience - most of them in their 50s and 60s who were young when the performers were singing back in the 1960s.  They were all singing along and smiling, some with tears in their eyes as memories were refreshed.  They danced in the aisles - the dances of their youth.  What fun!  I would love to be able to attend a concert like that with the artists of my youth. 

Well, now that I've convinced you all that I really am an old fogey, I'll sign off.  It's after midnight after all and I need my beauty sleep.

Have a lovely Sunday.

Pat

8 comments:

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

A trip down memory lane especially where music is concerned does tend to touch the soul for sure. For me it brings back a lot of happy memories of the past. Sad to say the music today rarely touches me in the same way.

Magpie said...

I always get stopped on the channel when they're advertising the Time Life sets that cover the 60's and the 70's. Such fun!

Chatty Crone said...

I was born in 1953 - the 60's were really a safe sweet time. sandie

mickey said...

this blog shows up my age and older than you! some of my earliest memories are earlier than yours! Oh Boy was my first 45! And I think that was from the 50s. I wish I had seen the show. Been watching football for 8 hrs! (well not really as Wynne and I went to a movie at4.

TARYTERRE said...

The 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's ROCK. LOVE the music. Sounds like a delightful special you watched. Davy Jone's was cute wasn't he? LOL You are so right about the new electronic age of cellphones, computers, etc keeping people at arm's length from each other.

Haf Dozen Reasons....... said...

We always went roller skating in our teens in the 80s(some of the best music I must say!!! LOL). I love how you hear a song from the "rink days" and all the fun memories flood back!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm a little bit younger than you, but this is my music too! I have a vast collection of 60's music on CDs, and can listen to it for hours on end!!

Sush said...

Oh Pat, I love those PBS shows and the walks down memory lane. It really is great music!
Hugs~