I never noticed before but Stretch Armstrong looks a little constipated. No wonder why he could stretch so far! Lots of fluid in there, lots of fluid.Many of my cherished car memories growing up was listening to the radio while I bounced and slid all over the car seats (it was the 70's, seat belts weren't the law yet) of my Mom's light blue Volvo. Like any kid, I would shout and carry on randomly while I played with my toys. What car could deny the power of Stretch Armstrong! He was unbreakable (until he actually broke which was quite easy to do, then this smelly goo would come out that I think was toxic)!! But while this was going on, the cool soft rock tunes of the 70's would flow through that old Volvo like...like...wait for it...a summer breeze.
Which brings me to the first song, Seals & Crofts "Summer Breeze". Lots of times this song would play with the windows rolled down, the rancid scent of the local Lake in the air (for decades it's smelled like rotting garbage) and for some reason I thought "jasmine in my mind" would cause physical pain. Ah yes, beautiful memories of stinky pain. But it's a great song, Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw recently covered it to great effect. So, let's Seal and Croft this bad boy with another round of "Summer's Eve"! No, that's actually "Summer Breeze"!
The second song had to equal the first song in AM brilliance, so there's only one band who can fit the bill: Ambrosia. The awe inspiring David Pack would take his high voiced shaggy headed soft rock to new heights on songs like "Biggest Part of Me" and "How Much I Feel". "Feel" is my favorite of the Ambrosia bunch, a nice cushy piece of harmonious sweet talk for young ladies to cuddle up to on the 45 record player. You know, the kind of record player you could carry around like a suit case until you unlatched it and plugged in. That's what us old folk used to call portable music. IPod? How many transitors can you fit in that? (note-I looked this up after posting, there are transistors in IPods. There are probably transistors in lots of things still, so this just goes to show I know nothing about electronic circuitry).
Both of these clips happened to come from The Midnight Special, an awesome thing in itself. But that's for another time. Until then, turn the antenna towards the southwest to get good reception on Different Strokes, play some electric football and dial for dollars because we're going back to the 70's!
(One more note-I always found it funny that "How Much I Feel" has this part towards the end where the singer says he's married but sometimes sees the face of his old girlfriend during sex. It's supposed to be this 70's sensitive guy and then he says "By the way, I'm married now but still think of you while in bed with my wife." Nice!)
Seals & Croft "Summer Breeze"
Ambrosia "How Much I Feel"
8 comments:
I used to love these songs! And yes I think of Summer when I hear these songs! I used to head to NYC a lot in my uncle's ginormous 18 seater station wagon.. my family, his family and the extended family of great uncles and grandmom's and a gaggle of kids. I was the tiny kid slammed up against the back of the station wagon lying on the floor staring at the passing clouds to avoid watching the scenery of the city. Feeling the breeze as it came through the various windows.. aaaaaaaah what a feeling.. :)
Hi Arsenette! I've forgotten what that's like, watching the sky while in the back of a station wagon. It is nice and something most kids today might not get to do. Thanks for reminding me! Was the station wagon one of those where seats fold out of the floor of the trunk? I always liked those.
I tried to go on http://www.stationwagon.com/gallery/gallery.html to try to find it. I tried to describe it to hubby and he said the LTD was a massively popular car during that time but it seems small to me. I went on the wiki and found out that both Ford and Mercury has 9-seaters (with facing seats in the middle) and so it's looking more and more like a Ford.. Granted.. I was around 5 so that would have put it at the earliest 1977. I put 18 seater because being Puerto Rican.. that's a LOT of people you can shove in one car...
I called Mom.. it was the Ford Country Squire :) In blue :)
Hi Arsenette! I looked up pictures of the car online, that was a huge station wagon. I saw the pictures of ones where the passenger seat faces backwards and the seats curve around the interior like at a diner. Really cool! Thanks for looking into it :)
We had a Buick stationwagon. Seats flipped up from the floor. We loved riding in those seats. Even tho the sun would bake you to well done and crispy. Took a trip from Central FL to Northern Nebraska one summer. It was great, parents up front, luggage and stuff in the middle seat and me and Martie in our own little world in the back. Writing notes to the cars and trucks passing by... nothing bad, just innocent little "hello's". It was a sweet time. Only, my mother did not listen to anything but country. Thankfully back then there was a whole lot of country that didn't get radio waves... :)
One thing about riding on those seats ... I keep thinking of the Dunkin' Donuts song.. "The back of my legs... sticking to the pleather!!"... Ooooooooouch...
Hi some kinda wonderful! Sounds like a really nice time, it's always fun to see kids write nice notes to other cars.
Hi Arsenette! I think the only thing worse than sticking is when you first sit down in shorts and get burned by the seat!
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