There’s something about music and class reunions. Just the idea of getting back together with former classmate that you probably spent your entire childhood with just screams “music memories”. Well,in my case, my music memories resulted in me going to work as Barb “volunteered” my services to put together a CD commemorating F.D.R. High School in Hyde Park’s Class of 1972.
Now, as a person who has made at least one CD every month consisting of the month’s current songs, I was up for the challenge. I thought it would be a great idea to put a cross section of many of the popular rock and pop songs from that class’s senior year. Songs from September 1971 when they went back to school for the first time, to when they graduated the following June. At first, I considered all number 1 songs during that time, but I didn’t think seniors (much less 58 year olds) would appreciate Donny Osmond’s “Go Away Little Girl”, “Candy Man” (Sammy Davis Jr) or even the talented Roberta Flack’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. So I wanted to mix it up a bit.
That school year of 1971-72 did have a lot of classics to it. Starting off with Paul McCartney’s “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey”, from his second solo album Ram, his second since the break-up of The Beatles, just over a year and a half prior. Keep in mind that for me, two years behind this crew, it marked the start of my sophomore year at Roselle Park High School back here in New Jersey. Paul hit #1 with this song fittingly enough in September.
Another huge song that fall was Rod Stewart‘s “Maggie May“ from his breakthrough solo effort Every Picture Tells a Story. Rod had been around several years prior, as a member of The Faces, and working with Jeff Beck. He was very busy in the early seventies, maintaining his membership in Faces, briefly fronting a band called Python Lee Jackson, as well as his solo work. He was a very hot commodity for the next 8 months, before cooling off somewhat. However, he became hot once again with his A Night on the Town set in1976 (with the huge “Tonight‘s the Night“,) and hasn‘t stopped yet.
Other big songs included Cher’s “comeback” single (that woman has come back more times than a boomerang), “Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves”, and then of course, the classic “American Pie”, by Don McLean, recapping the first 15 years of rock ‘n’ roll history dating back to the “day the music died”. America took well, America by storm with its first album and hit single “A Horse With No Name”. Harry Nilsson’s landmark “Nilsson Schmilsson” yielded his hit cover of a Badfinger song “Without You”.
There were other #1’s of course that year, but I also wanted to include other pertinent songs on the CD. Album rock was very popular in 1971, so I included the Moody Blues “The Story In Your Eyes”, Yes’ “Roundabout”, John Lennon’s “Imagine”, “Black Dog” by Led Zeppelin, and “Tumbling Dice” by the Rolling Stones. Still, one guy at the reunion asked if Ozzy was on there (Black Sabbath was very hot in the early 70’s)….guess you can’t please everyone.
The CD also included the burgeoning singer-songwriter genre (Paul Simon’s first solo hit “Mother and Child Reunion”, Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes”), folk (Joan Baez’s cover of The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down”), pop/rock (Badfinger’s’ “Day After Day”; Three Dog Night’s “Never Been to Spain”), and finally some straight pop stuff (“Sweet City Woman “ by the Stampeders; “Precious and Few” by Climax; “Everything I Own” by Bread; and“Joy “ by Apollo 100.
We made about 40 CD’s to distribute to the classmates, and feedback was well received. The hard part was not selecting the songs, it was printing the labels and covers. It was worth the effort as it turned out. I also made a play list for the reunion and put on my Ipod; it was played the first three hours before the cover band “Harvest” took over. The songs included those popular from their H.S. years (September 1968 to June 1972), inter-dispersed with some party classic and some current songs.
Harvest played the usual party tunes that you hear at weddings and other catered events, as well as some current songs as well. None of the songs were from the classmates era, and what bodes the question, “Should a class reunion be all nostalgia, or just to go out and have a good time for the night?” It probably doesn’t mattered. Our class, RPHS 1974 had reunions every five years through our 30th in 2004, until we skipped the 35th, and much of the time it was just party tunes, little from our era. One year, however, the DJ did play many songs from 1974. The only problem with that, however, it that we graduated in June, and stuff like “Kung Fu Fighting” was popular in December! The most recent reunion in 2004 was well produced, and perhaps inspiring my CD project, a collection was given out with the Top 10 on the Billboard chart the week we graduated (June 13, 1974). And who cared if we really didn’t like “Billy Don’t Be A Hero”? It’s all about the memories!
THE CHARTS: Despite being stuck in neutral at #12 on the Hot 100, Pink still is in control of the top of SNS this week as the catchy pop/rock gem holds at #1 for a 4th week. Songs 2 thru 5 are formidable challengers, but are still well behind, only The Avett Brothers “Live and Die” is getting any sort of airplay of the four, and it’s doing well on the Triple-A formet, but it holds at #5, caught into a jam.
The latest from the Raveonettes, Observator, is listed in WFUV’s The Alternate Side’s top 20; and the track “Observations” moves into the top 10 at #9, the duo’s second top 10 here. Two Door Cinema Club’s “Sleep Alone” become that act’s third top 10 on my chart.
Coming into the Top 20, newcomers Rebecca Ferguson and Basement Batman have their first top 20’s, as does Green Day, who’s “Oh Love” from their upcoming Uno set, is their first in several years. Grouplove notices its second top 20 song with “Itchin’ On a Photograph” , as “Tongue Tied” logs its 37th week on the list.
Big movers include Dirty Beaches’ soothing “Elizabeth’s Song” making a leap from #55 to #26, Snow Patrol’s “In the End”, the fourth track from their current Fallin’ Empires effort, 50-36 and Mumford & Sons “I Will Wait” (56-39).
POPULAR: I will try and feature songs that are popular with my Facebook friends, who have been posting some new music lately. Two friends featured “We Come Running“, by Youngblood Hawke, enabling it to move 83-63..
HOW LOW CAN YOU GO: Pretty low debuts this week, with the highest only at #90, and that belongs to “Kiss You Inside Out”, by Hedley, a pop-punk band from British Columbia, Canada. They have been around since 2004. They got their start on Canadian Idol, where they made the top three (unlike its American counterpart, they do allow bands to compete, apparently). This song hails from their fourth album Storms.
AND SPEAKING OF IDOL: Although “Home” by latest A.I. winner Phillip Phillps again drops out of the national Top 10 , and falls 11-14 here, the airplay is starting to catch on in a big way. Yes, it’s a fixture on the Adult Top 40 list, but it debuts at #38 on Triple-A. To me, this is a monumental achievement for someone from Idol, as many of the rockers have been slighted in the rock world. I don’t remember Daughtry getting any sort of airplay on the rock airplay charts. “Home” has indie written over it, and if it wasn’t by someone featured on the hit show, it probably would have been high atop the Triple-A list a long time ago. Of course, it will remain to be seen when Phillip’s releases his debut, whether he’ll sustain any momentum.
SCENES 'N' SOUNDWAVES 100 for Week of August 27, 2012:
|
This Week
|
Last Week
|
ARTIST-Title
|
Weeks on List
|
|
1
|
1
|
P!NK
"Blow Me (One Last Kiss)"
Album: The Truth About Love
(4 Weeks at #1)
|
8
|
|
2
|
3
|
Foxygen - Make It Known
|
6
|
|
3
|
4
|
Dignan Porch - Picking Up Dust
|
7
|
|
4
|
2
|
The Heavy - What Makes A Good Man
|
10
|
|
5
|
5
|
The Avett Brothers - Live and Die
|
7
|
|
6
|
7
|
The Black Keys - Little Black Submarine
|
11
|
|
7
|
9
|
Kelly Clarkson - Dark Side
|
13
|
|
8
|
10
|
Beach House - Lazuli
|
12
|
|
9
|
12
|
The Raveonettes - Observations
|
9
|
|
10
|
15
|
Two Door Cinema Club - Sleep Alone
|
6
|
|
11
|
8
|
Best Coast - The Only Place
|
15
|
|
12
|
13
|
Matchbox Twenty - She's So Mean
|
11
|
|
13
|
27
|
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
REBECCA FERGUSON
"Nothing's Real But Love"
Album: Heaven
|
4
|
|
14
|
11
|
Phillip Phillips - Home
|
14
|
|
15
|
6
|
Trails and Ways - Nunca
|
14
|
|
16
|
20
|
Ty Segall Band - I Brought My Eyes
|
13
|
|
17
|
25
|
Basement Batman - On A Streak
|
5
|
|
18
|
23
|
Green Day - Oh Love
|
6
|
|
19
|
14
|
Fun. - Some Nights
|
22
|
|
20
|
33
|
Grouplove - Itchin' On A Photograph
|
4
|
|
21
|
19
|
The Royal Concept - Gimme Twice
|
10
|
|
22
|
26
|
The Killers - Runaways
|
7
|
|
23
|
30
|
Grassfight - Look Homeward Heathen
|
8
|
|
24
|
24
|
Of Monsters and Men - Mountain Sound
|
11
|
|
25
|
37
|
The Features - Another One
|
8
|
|
26
|
55
|
MOVER OF THE WEEK:
DIRTY BEACHES
"Elizabeth's Theme"
(Single Only)
|
3
|
|
27
|
31
|
Emeli Sande - Next To Me
|
10
|
|
28
|
16
|
M83 - Reunion
|
15
|
|
29
|
21
|
Mayer Hawthorne - Henny and Gingerale
|
16
|
|
30
|
38
|
No Doubt - Settle Down
|
6
|
|
31
|
18
|
Oberhofer - Away From You
|
19
|
|
32
|
34
|
Meiko - Leave the Lights On
|
9
|
|
33
|
35
|
A Place to Bury Strangers - You Are the One
|
7
|
|
34
|
17
|
The Kooks - Is It Me
|
14
|
|
35
|
39
|
The Mungers - B School
|
8
|
|
36
|
50
|
Snow Patrol - In the End
|
5
|
|
37
|
28
|
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - Never Go Back
|
20
|
|
38
|
40
|
Weeks - The House We Grew Up In
|
9
|
|
39
|
56
|
Mumford & Sons - I Will Wait
|
3
|
|
40
|
29
|
Linkin Park - Burn It Down
|
18
|
|
41
|
22
|
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - That's What's Up
|
18
|
|
42
|
36
|
Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
|
25
|
|
43
|
32
|
The Shins- The Rifle's Spiral
|
21
|
|
44
|
49
|
Joanna Burns - Simply Speak
|
5
|
|
45
|
52
|
Chromatics - Into the Black
|
5
|
|
46
|
41
|
Metric - Youth Without Youth
|
18
|
|
47
|
45
|
Wolf Gang - The King and All His Men
|
13
|
|
48
|
43
|
Gossip - Move in the Right Direction
|
11
|
|
49
|
44
|
Maroon 5 - Come Away To the Water
|
23
|
|
50
|
42
|
Gotye - Eyes Wide Open
|
19
|
|
51
|
46
|
Gotye f. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used to Know
|
32
|
|
52
|
57
|
Maroon 5 - One More Night
|
5
|
|
53
|
62
|
The Lumineers - Ho Hey
|
9
|
|
54
|
48
|
Public Image Ltd - One Drop
|
10
|
|
55
|
54
|
Dr. Dog - Lonesome
|
11
|
|
56
|
70
|
Mayer Hawthorne - No Strings
|
3
|
|
57
|
51
|
The Gaslight Anthem - 45
|
14
|
|
58
|
53
|
The Wombats - Jump Into the Fog
|
25
|
|
59
|
58
|
Rome - Dedication
|
9
|
|
60
|
63
|
Daniel Powter - Cupid
|
7
|
|
61
|
47
|
Graffiti6 - Stare Into the Sun
|
16
|
|
62
|
79
|
Tristan Prettymen - My Oh My
|
3
|
|
63
|
83
|
Youngblood Hawke - We Come Running
|
3
|
|
64
|
68
|
Aerosmith - Legendary Child
|
5
|
|
65
|
90
|
Yeasayer - Henrietta
|
2
|
|
66
|
81
|
The Shins - It's Only Life
|
2
|
|
67
|
82
|
Taylor Swift - We Are Never Getting Back Together
|
2
|
|
68
|
61
|
Train - 50 Ways to Say Goodbye
|
12
|
|
69
|
60
|
Ty Segall & White Fence - I Am Not A Game
|
23
|
|
70
|
93
|
Django Django - Default
|
2
|
|
71
|
78
|
Bloc Party - Octopus
|
5
|
|
72
|
89
|
Sean Rowe - Horses
|
3
|
|
73
|
66
|
Ellie Goulding - Lights
|
32
|
|
74
|
65
|
Electric Guest - This Head I Hold
|
26
|
|
75
|
72
|
Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe
|
13
|
|
76
|
59
|
Dawes - If I Wanted Someone
|
10
|
|
77
|
67
|
White Violet - Lays Around Lazy
|
13
|
|
78
|
95
|
Jack White - Freedom at 21
|
2
|
|
79
|
97
|
Coldplay - Hurts Like Heaven0
|
2
|
|
80
|
71
|
Grouplove - Tongue Tied
|
37
|
|
81
|
88
|
Alex Clare - Too Close
|
14
|
|
82
|
75
|
Lady Antebellum - Dancing Away With My Heart
|
23
|
|
83
|
84
|
Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built
|
4
|
|
84
|
69
|
Christina Perri f. Jason Mraz - Distance
|
6
|
|
85
|
80
|
Florence + the Machine - No Light, No Light
|
33
|
|
86
|
64
|
Passion Pit - Take A Walk
|
15
|
|
87
|
74
|
Eric Hutchinson - Watching You Watch Him
|
12
|
|
88
|
76
|
Lost n the Trees - Golden Eyelids
|
21
|
|
89
|
92
|
Dave Matthews Band - Mercy
|
14
|
|
90
|
----
|
TOP DEBUT:
HEDLEY
"Kiss You Inside Out"
Album: Storms
|
1
|
|
91
|
----
|
Linkin Park - Lost In the Echo
|
1
|
|
92
|
----
|
Dirty Heads - Dance All Night
|
1
|
|
93
|
73
|
Eve6 - Victoria
|
24
|
|
94
|
91
|
The Rapture - How Deep is Your Love
|
33
|
|
95
|
77
|
Silent Rider - I Was A Bomb
|
9
|
|
96
|
87
|
The Black Keys - Gold On the Ceiling
|
31
|
|
97
|
99
|
Keane - Sovereign Light Cafe
|
2
|
|
98
|
96
|
Slightly Stoopid - Top of the World
|
3
|
|
99
|
94
|
Smashing Pumpkins - Celestials
|
4
|
|
100
|
----
|
Dispatch - Circles Around the Sun
|
1
|
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