[Otclassof1973] TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS

[Kady Denton]

Marvin, I gotta tell ya.  I love reading your "stuff".  No one has heard
much from me lately.  I have a lot of craziness going on in my life,
especially lately.  Your tales/stories makes me smile. Especially today.
This brought me back to a much simpler, fun time. Memories of the beach, the
songs took me to a place where the pressures and issues were gone.

THANK YOU!

Kady

-----Original Message-----
From: neufsaid at juno.com [mailto:neufsaid at juno.com] 
Sent: Saturday, July 28, 2007 12:02 AM
To: otclassof1973 at devel2.njit.edu
Subject: [Otclassof1973] TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROADS

I've been thinking about the summer of 1971, mostly because the local 
oldies station, KFRC here in San Francisco, returned to it's oldies 
format, and they just finished playing Delaney & Bonnie and 
Friends, "Only You Know and I Know" and now Carole King is 
lamenting "So Far Away." 

How can I help but be reminded of my very first summer on the sandy 
beaches of Raspberry Park?  Back when Aretha Franklin sang about the 
blacktop in "Spanish Harlem" as my sister and I spread our blankets on 
the beach a few blocks to the left of Convulsion Hall, the side closer 
to Big Deal and as far as possible from Ocean Grave.  We'd do a quick 
two-step across the hot sand while Tommy Roe sang "Stagger Lee," 
and Richie Havens crooned "Here Comes the Sun" and then we'd tan to 
the Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar."  

The DJs at WABC played War's "All Day Music" and every 20 minutes 
alerted us with their Sun-Tan-Turnover-Time, so we wouldn't get
burned.  THAT was one helpful PSA, 'cause as Jerry Reed said, "When 
You're Hot, You're Hot."

Before moving to Monmouth County, I lived in Elizabeth, up in 
Union County (Elizabeth was the first state capital of New Jersey - 
this'll all be on the test) so my first summer in Ocean Twp wasn't 
until 1971, the year Marvin Gaye asked "What's Going On?" and The 
Undisputed Truth warned "Smiling Faces Sometimes. . ."  

Well they do.  Can you dig it?

Sure, I'd been to other beaches: Atlantic City, Wildwood, Coney 
Island, Palisades Park, Miami (so young, so worldly).  I'm sure 
the purists among us will scoff and say that Coney Island and 
Palisades Park weren't true beach experiences, and to that I can only 
offer Lee Michaels' song, "Can I Get a Witness?"  But it was 1971 and 
while Tommy James was "Draggin' the Line," and the Temptations assured 
us it was "Just My Imagination," James Brown extolled the virtues 
of "Hot Pants."  That was probably when I realized (albeit 
subconsciously) that bikinis were little more than waterproof 
lingerie, but I was getting high on the scent of Coppertone while John 
Lennon was telling us to "Imagine" and the Stampeders were singing 
about a "Sweet City Woman."

I could sing the praises of tan lines, but I prefer to let Three Dog 
Night speak for me with "Joy to the World."  

Yes, Asbury Park will always live in my memory, the Chi-Lites might as 
well have been singing about her when they asked "Have You Seen Her?"  
Tom Jones knew "She's a Lady;" but unfortunately, today she needs 
Betty Wright's "Clean Up Woman." 

The Carpenters sang, "For All We Know," but I think this has been my 
way of giving that place and that time Three Dog Night's, "An Old 
Fashioned Love Song;" because as Michael Jackson said, "Got to Be 
There."

In the words of Marvin Gaye, "Mercy, Mercy Me."

Marvin

PS/ Hope everyone's having a great summer.  If anyone feels like 
writing, I think Diana Ross said it best, "Reach Out, I'll Be There." 

PPS/ I wonder if this would work with song titles from 1973?  "Let's 
Get It On," that was my main man, Marvin Gaye.

PPSS/ Don't make me go Barry White on you, people.  It wouldn't be 
pretty.

#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9#9
I just want to celebrate another day of livin', 
I just want to celebrate another day of life.
Rare Earth, "I Just Want to Celebrate"