Songs and Memories

[maximan]

Heard a song earlier this evening, as background to a film, which was on a compilation tape ( yes tape ) which we use to play driving down to the south of France and then to Spain as a young family.
That was it, the rest of this evening I have spent playing songs that bring back wonderful memories.
Anyone else ever do this?

[dionaeamuscipula]

Heard a song earlier this evening, as background to a film, which was on a compilation tape ( yes tape ) which we use to play driving down to the south of France and then to Spain as a young family.
That was it, the rest of this evening I have spent playing songs that bring back wonderful memories.
Anyone else ever do this?

Amazon Echo linked to Spotify means I often think of someone or something I've not heard for a while and have it playing within seconds having shouted it across the room. Greg Khan "Jeopardy" most recently, which I mixed up with Robert Palmer's "Jealous", which in turn reminded me that I've not listened to any of his stuff for a while. Lovely to wallow in nostalgia, and as an added advantage, annoys the hell out of the kids.

DM

[bungeejumper]

Oh, indeed. Like Proust's madeleines, but less subtle. Loud, stomping Tina Turner classics (or Robert Palmer) can put me in the mood for the open road, just as they did 25 years ago. Driving through the night in France, with the sunroof back and the stars above, and the car slowly filling up with all the hundreds of moths that had been attracted to the headlights. Aaaaaah...

[Late edit: DM, Robert Palmer. Now there's a bit of synchronicity for you!]

Old Dire Straits, similar. (Sorry about that.) With the added recollection that we once found ourselves on the same car ferry as Mark Knopfler and Nick Mason. Both driving their outrageously fast cars down to Le Mans for the classics weekend. (Along with maybe sixty other historic supercars. What a sight that car deck was. )

One old favourite that we don't cherish so much any more is the CeeBeebies compilation disc that used to be required car listening for our granddaughter. Every cheesy tune is indelibly etched on our memory. And there were more than 40 of them.

BJ

[dionaeamuscipula]

One old favourite that we don't cherish so much any more is the CeeBeebies compilation disc that used to be required car listening for our granddaughter. Every cheesy tune is indelibly etched on our memory. And there were more than 40 of them.

BJ

"Sixty Four, Sixty Four, Sixty Four Zoo Lane"...

heh heh heh.

[UncleIan]

Both driving their outrageously fast cars down to Le Mans for the classics weekend. (Along with maybe sixty other historic supercars. What a sight that car deck was. )

Oh yes, we went to the "proper" Le Mans one year, that ferry trip was the most extraordinary sight to behold. Over there 20 from the caterham club, over there 8 from the ferrari owners club, over there a bunch of porsches, lambos, rollers, endless car exotica, all having to cosy up to coaches and lorries. Man that was a tiring weekend. Cracking though. Quite mind boggling to wake up Sunday morning to the sound of cars still thundering round and knowing they'd been going all night. Some friends pulled out of going a few days before, so gave us their grandstand tickets, only right near the front over the pit lane, so you could hang over the barrier and look straight down on the cars as they pitted, that was a bit of a result. Journey back in the coach was hellish though. We had a cheapskate package, no cabin, not even a reclining chair, my dad slept near the bar with his coat over his head, I actually had an okay night, in my sleeping bag outside on the rear deck. I must have slept ok, some drunk oiks stole the ship's flag about 15' from where I was sleeping. Then once we docked as it was a local coach firm it had to drop people off all over the place before the last stop. What's usually an hour in the car was about 3.5 hours. Grim.

[bungeejumper]

Oh, and how could I ever forget Springsteen? "We drove eight hundred miles without seeing a cop, we got rock and roll music blasting off the T-top."

To tell the truth, these days I'm more likely to listen to Charlie Parker, or maybe Beethoven piano sonatas, or Corelli or Giuliani. Something's lost, something's gained, I suppose?

BJ

[ten0rman]

For me, old songs generally remind me of certain periods of my life, more specifically the cafe's I went in and the records I played on the juke boxes therein. Although most of them are pop songs, there are a few other songs which acted as an introduction to more classical music. For instance, I took part in a Youth Fellowship concert in my early 20's, or possibly late teens, and discovered The Pirates of Penzance, and hence G&S, and The Lost Chord.

In my early 30's, Au Font du Temple Saint (Bizet's Pearl Fishers) and Hummel's Trumpet Concerto in E introduced me to true classical music.

Also, in my late teens, again through the Youth Fellowship of which I was a member, I discovered firstly that I had a tenor voice, and secondly that I liked singing 4 part harmony, and this remained my main pastime for over 50 years until last year when my hearing deteriorated to such an extent that I could no longer properly hear the other parts of the choir.

A few years ago, we bought a CD of pop songs from the late 50's/early 60's: we were amazed at the clarity of the singers voices as compared to more modern singers. Indeed, I would suggest that a lot of modern pop singers could advantageously listen, mark, and learn, from the pop singers of yesteryear.

Regards,

ten0rman

[AleisterCrowley]

There are a few albums that take me back to my happy student days -
Chris Rea- On The Beach (title track and Little Blonde Plaits)
Dire Straits -Brothers in Arms , especially Ride Across the River
Best of Cream
Van Halen - 5150
You can probably guess this was mid to late 80s...

[redsturgeon]

This one by Nizlopi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQDnFTtr2UQ

My son was not getting on well at school and this song could he been written for us.

"I'm Luke, I'm 5 and my dad's Bruce Lee
Drives me round in his JCB!"

All correct at the time except for the JCB!

Brilliant...great video too.

Other songs remind me of specific times.

Suzanne by Leonard Cohen reminds me of sultry summer evenings in our flat with my first wife (now sadly departed taken by cancer at 51)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY80R2Pb7LE

This is a great little video of the original Suzanne who Cohen wrote the song for. Fascinating to see her now, an ex bohemian, dancer, who move to LA to become famous but broke her back and became homeless for several years. Unfortunately for her she had lost touch with Cohen by then...I guess he could have helped her out a little, but she was too proud to ask and who knows if he ever knew what happened to her...we all move on.

And I can appreciate the whole "long car trip to the South of France meme too. We used to pack up the seven seater Merc every summer with four kids, six bikes, roof box and this albums covers that time

Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CGVgAYJyjk

John