Tuesday, April 12, 2022

Not sure why


     Don't know why, but I loved this corny song back in the 60s, when I was a kid. I even bought the 45.  
     I'm a sucker for this kind of sadness. The song was written by Dusty Springfield's brother, who was managing the Seekers after the demise of the Springfields.
     At some point — years later — I happened to mention to my mom that I loved this song. This struck her, somehow. I think she was surprised that I was into this kind of thing. 
     Nowadays, I love the Aussie singer Julia Jacklin, and she chose to cover this corny song. I feel the arc from 1960s to 2020s, from Springfield to Jacklin to me. The corn arc.


     This gal in the Seekers — Judith Durham — was magic somehow. Great singer. Didn't want to be a pop star. In the late 60s, she faded into the outback. 


     1965: I loved this recording, too. The original version — by Canadian folksters Ian and Sylvia — is also pretty good, but very different. Check it out
     Sylvia said she wrote it in her bathtub in 1962. 
     (Ian wrote "Four Strong Winds" in Albert Grossman's apartment in 1961 — in 20 minutes.)
     The singer in this band, Beverly Bivens, who attended Santa Ana High and OCC, made quite a splash at the time, but she quit the band because she didn't want to be in the business, or something like that.
     The "We Five" were among the first bands to record "Let's Get Together," later a hit for the Youngbloods (1967/9). (It was first recorded by the Kingston Trio.) Here's the Youngbloods' version:


     Kinda silly, very hippy-dippy, but also special and memorable somehow. Written by Chet Powers/Dino Valenti of Quicksilver Messenger Service. Valenti was part of the early-60s LA folk scene. 
     I'd love to have been there. Magic, man.
     Valenti never really made it and he died young and obscure. Sheesh.
     Very tough business, music. 
     I don't want to forget these people.
     Most of us, it seems, want to surrender ourselves to music. "Take me," we seem to say.

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Roy's obituary in LA Times and Register: "we were lucky to have you while we did"

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