I remember ABBA so well. Like a shooting star, the Swedish pop group came and went quickly. They burst on the scene in 1974 with a unique sound that featured rich female harmonies with backing vocals from a couple of satisfied-to-be-in-the-background males. But by the early ‘80s, they were finished as big hit makers.
But for those six or seven years, they were a group to be reckoned with — a global phenomenon of epic proportions and Sweden’s biggest “export” to the world.
On Oct. 13, we can relive the timeless hits of the ‘70s and early ‘80s as The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA takes center stage at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick.
Their music was bubblegum “poppy,” decidedly up-tempo and definitely “feminine.” As a male teenager in the ’70s, I couldn’t really admit to liking them, as I could with female rockers like, say, the band Heart. More than once, I had to quickly turn the radio down as pals piled into my car.
To say ABBA’s sound was unique would be an understatement. They are still immediately recognizable on certain Sirius XM channels and streaming services today.
The band was comprised of four members, and that’s how they got their name. Benney Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (the two B’s in ABBA) wrote and produced all the songs and played piano and guitar. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad (the two A’s) sang the rich vocals while wearing very short mini-skirts and other dazzling costumes.
Like most bands, ABBA was no overnight success. The ABBA story began in Sweden in 1966 when Bjorn and Benny, who were playing for different bands, met and wrote their first songs together. In 1969 they met the women who would become their wives and musical partners.
After a few years of toiling and achieving modest success in Sweden, they entered a singing contest with the song “Waterloo” and won. Soon, “Waterloo” was No. 1 all over Europe and reached the top 10 in the U.S in 1974. About 18 months later in 1976, they hit it big again on the U.S. charts with “SOS” taken off their third album.
Later that year, “Mamma Mia,” perhaps their most widely known song because of the musical and movie, was released and spent time at No. 1 in the U.K. and amazingly, 10 weeks at No. 1 in Australia. Crikey! In the U.S., “Mamma Mia” peaked only at number 63. This song, however, established them as reliable hit makers and one of the most popular groups in the world.
Then, 1977 brought hits like “Fernando” and the ever popular “Dancing Queen,” the latter being ABBA’s only No. 1 U.S. single. That one will get you up and onto the dance floor even today.
In 1978, ABBA’s fourth original album “Arrival” was released and spawned hits “Money, Money, Money” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” Later that year, they completed a sold-out, worldwide tour, completed a feature film called “ABBA: The Movie” and their newest album called, naturally, “ABBA: The Album.”
The hits began to wane in 1979 as one of the married couples announced their divorce. This did not mean the complete end to ABBA, however. They completed their final tour in Japan in 1980 but also found the time and geniality to complete the “Super Trouper” album. In 1981 the other married couple divorced, effectively ending ABBA’s reign as one of the most unlikely top pop groups in the world.
A revival of sorts came in 1999 when the musical “Mamma Mia” premiered in London. It opened on Broadway two years later and became a cultural phenomenon. To date, more than 60 million people have seen it in over 400 cities. A successful movie version starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan was released in July 2008.
Today, ABBA is regarded as one of the all-time classic pop acts, acknowledged by their 2010 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All four group members are still alive, doing well and living in Sweden.
IF YOU GO: The Concert: A Tribute to ABBA will start at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Weinberg Center, 20 W. Patrick St., Frederick. Tickets start at $40 and are available at weinbercenter.org, by calling the box office at 301-600-2828, or in person.
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providingchildcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
In honor of National Grief Awareness Day on Aug. 30, I listened to some of the saddest songs ever written and recorded, trying to pick out the saddest ones of all.
I’ve experienced my own share of grief, like most people my age: parents dying, siblings dying, losing jobs and losing love.
But as a volunteer counselor at Camp Jamie — Hospice of Frederick County’s grief camp for children — I’ve also been privy to the heartbreaking grief of kids who’ve lost parents. Nothing compares to that.
At camp, it always surprises me how effective music therapy is with grieving children. There’s just something about sad music that makes you realize you are not alone in your feelings — that others have experienced what you’re experiencing.
So if you’re experiencing some form of grief right now or just need a good cry, I present to you my top 10 saddest rock songs. Most deal with lost love, but there are some exceptions.
My No. 1 sad song not only features being jilted at the altar but also a father dying and a mother dying of grief because her husband died (“the only man she ever loved”). Suicide is contemplated along with the existence of God. All in about 3 minutes!
1. “ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY)”
Gilbert O’Sullivan, 1971
This obscure Irish singer somehow penned the saddest No. 1 song I’ve ever heard. Amazingly, he never experienced any of the misfortunes he wrote so evocatively about.
“Left standing in the lurch at a church were people saying, ‘My God, that’s tough. She stood him up. No point in us remaining.’”
2. “MY HEART WILL GO ON”
Celine Dion, 1997
This Oscar-winner for best original song for “Titanic” mourns love lost in the most tragic of circumstances. Who can forget the mournful flute arrangement as Rose recalls Jack slipping away into the icy depths?
“Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you. That is how I know you go on.”
3. “TEARS IN HEAVEN”
Eric Clapton, 1992
Clapton’s heartfelt ballad stems from unimaginable pain: mourning his 4-year-old son’s death from a fall from a 53-story building in 1991.
“Would you hold my hand, if I saw you in heaven? Would you help me stand, if I saw you in heaven?”
4. “LANDSLIDE”
Fleetwood Mac, 1975
Written and performed by Stevie Nicks, the song contemplates the regret that comes with getting older and things beginning to slip away.
“But time makes you bolder, even children get older, and I’m gettin’ older, too. I’m gettin’ older, too.”
5. “TRACES OF LOVE”
Classics IV, 1969
This ingenious songwriting mechanism uses souvenirs of a failed love affair to recall the pain.
“Faded photograph, covered now with lines and creases. Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces. Traces of love long ago that didn’t work out right.”
6. “AT SEVENTEEN”
Janis Ian, 1975
This Grammy-winner for best pop female performance brutally depicts a teenage girl’s angst at not fitting in but desperately wanting to.
“To those of us who knew the pain of valentines that never came, and those whose names were never called when choosing sides for basketball.”
7. “CAT’S IN THE CRADLE”
Harry Chapin, 1974
Chapin’s only No. 1 song recounts the sad story of a dad who has no time for his young son growing up, but then the grown-up son turns the tables on his now-elderly dad.
“My son turned 10 just the other day. He said, ‘Thanks for the ball, Dad — come on, let’s play. Can you teach me to throw?’ I said, ‘Not today. I got a lot to do.’ He said, ‘That’s OK.’”
8. “BY THE TIME I GET TO PHOENIX”
Glen Campbell, 1967
This Jimmy Webb-penned classic explores the difficulty in leaving a failed romance when the other person still loves you.
“By the time I make Oklahoma, she’ll be sleepin’. She’ll turn softly and call my name out low, and she’ll cry just to think I’d really leave her, though time and time I’ve tried to tell her so.”
9. “DUST IN THE WIND”
Kansas, 1977
This song, featuring a mournful violin arrangement, regrets the fact that human life, with all of its hopes and dreams, is ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
“I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment’s gone. All my dreams pass before my eyes — a curiosity, dust in the wind. All they are is dust in the wind.”
10. “OPERATOR (THAT’S NOT THE WAY IT FEELS)”
Jim Croce, 1972
This tuneful ballad from the star-crossed, blue-collar rocker uses a fleeting friendship with a compassionate telephone operator to finally accept losing his love.
“Operator, could you help me place this call? ‘Cause I can’t read the number that you just gave me. There’s something in my eyes. You know it happens every time I think about the love I thought would save me.”
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Adele’s “Someone Like You,” The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home,” Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” Eric Carmen’s “All By Myself,” The Carpenters’ “Rainy Days and Mondays,” Johnny Cash’s “Hurt,” Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” John Denver’s “(Sometimes I Feel) Like a Sad Song,” Elton John’s “Empty Garden,” George Jones’ “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Neither One of Us,” Bobby Goldsboro’s “Honey,” Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U,” Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” REM’s “Everybody Hurts,” Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars” and Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
The six weeks from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July (with Flag Day on June 14 thrown in there for good measure) should be known as the “Honor America Sesquimonthly.” (If no one is claiming that phrase, I’ll be glad to.)
The feeling of pride we get this time of year is unlike any other. Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day is close, but different. The “holidays” are warm, cozy and faith- and family-oriented. This patriotic time of year is sometimes boisterous or somber, proud and neighbor-oriented.
There is something special about these six weeks. We make it a point to honor our fallen war heroes, Old Glory and our bold declaration of independence from Great Britain. It doesn’t hurt that all of this celebrating is done in front of a backdrop of delightfully mild weather so we can all get outside and share our good fortune with each other.
And, as with most human endeavors, a soundtrack of great music makes it even better.
There are many great traditional patriotic songs beginning with Frederick’s own “Star Spangled Banner.” Just watch any July 4 fireworks show and you are sure to hear the “who’s who” of patriotic music: “America” (My country ‘tis of thee), “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” “1776 Overture,” “1812 Overture” (with canons firing), “Washington Post March,” “This Land is Your Land,” “Yankee Doodle,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag” and the stirring themes from our five military branches.
But did you know that recent country, pop and rock artists put pen to paper and came up with some fabulously patriotic songs to help us mark the season? Of course you did! But someone has to list them, so I’ll take it from here!
Here are my top 10 present-day patriotic songs from well-known artists. They deserve our gratitude for tackling a tough assignment and adding to our pride and warm feelings at this special time of year.
You won’t find many country songs here, because I’m not much of a country music fan. But my No. 1 song is proudly country.
1. “GOD BLESS THE USA” Lee Greenwood, 1984
This classic tune came into prominence after 9/11 and became an instant standard. Stirring and proud, it is played at most large events.
“And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.”
2. “AMERICA” Simon and Garfunkel, 1968
Bittersweet and soulful, this song represents a search for America that has seemingly disappeared. You’ll recognize the Paul Simon signature melody instantly.
“Let us be lovers. We’ll marry our fortunes together. I’ve got some real estate here in my bag. So we bought a pack of cigarettes and Mrs. Wagner pies and walked off to look for America.”
Simon & Garfunkel
3. “AMERICA” Neil Diamond, 1980
An immigrant’s anthem as they try to make a better life in America at a time when they were more welcome here.
“Free, only want to be free. We huddle close, hang on to a dream. On the boats and on the planes, they’re coming to America.”
4. “BORN IN THE USA” Bruce Springsteen, 1984
The Boss’ hard-rocking, explicitly anti-war anthem drips with defiance but recovers with a deceptively patriotic chorus.
“Born down in a dead man’s town, the first kick I took was when I hit the ground. End up like a dog that’s been beat too much till you spend half your life just coverin’ up. Born in the USA.”
5. “R.O.C.K. IN THE USA” John Cougar Mellencamp, 1982
A light-hearted but hard-driving spelling bee of a song that harkens back to the music of the ’60s.
“They come from the cities, and they come from the smaller towns, and beat up cars with guitars and drummers goin’ crack boom bam. R.O.C.K. in the USA!”
6. “AMERICAN GIRL” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1976
This is a tuneful song from an artist that left us too soon about making the most of your life in America.
“Take it easy, baby. Make it last all night. She was an American girl.”
7. “AMERICAN WOMAN” The Guess Who, 1970 (covered by Lenny Kravitz, 2013)
A bunch of Canadian rockers intimidated by American women who seem full of attitude and self-assurance. Kravitz made it relative again.
“Don’t come knockin’ ’round my door. I don’t wanna see your shadow no more. Colored lights can hypnotize, sparkle someone else’s eyes. So woman, get away from me-e.”
8. “PINK HOUSES” John Cougar Mellencamp, 1983
A tribute to the everyday folks that built America and wanted nothing more than a little piece of the American dream.
“Ah, but ain’t that America for you and me? Ain’t that America? Somethin’ to see, baby. Ain’t that America? Home of the free … little pink houses for you and me.”
9. “AMERICAN PIE” Don McLean, 1971
A 9-minute tribute to the day the music died in 1959 is layered with surreal imagery and a great sing-along chorus.
“So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry. Them good ol’ boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye, singin’ this’ll be the day that I die.”
10. “I WON’T BACK DOWN” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 1989
A defiant, “take-no-prisoners” song that captures the fighting spirit of America.
“Well, I know what’s right. I got just one life. In a world that keeps on pushin’ me around, but I’ll stand my ground. And I won’t back down.”
Tom Petty
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Chuck Berry’s “Back in the USA,” Brooks and Dunn’s “Only in America,” James Brown’s “Living in America,” Johnny Cash’s “Ragged Old Flag,” Jimmy Hendrix’s “Star Spangled Banner,” Faith Hill’s “American Heart,” Toby Keith’s “American Soldier,” Kiss’ “Rockin’ in the USA,” Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Red White and Blue,” Brad Paisley’s “American Saturday Night,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” Paul Simon’s “American Tune,” Steve Miller Band’s “Living in the USA,” Carrie Underwood’s “All-American Girl” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
Spring is the season of renewal and rejuvenation. Sure, it has taken its sweet time getting established this year, but I think it’s finally here.
The crack of the bat means baseball is underway. Kids are out playing on jungle gyms again. The sweet smell of freshly cut grass, lilacs and dogwoods are in the air. People are out and about with big smiles plastered on their faces. Carroll Creek, Culler Lake and Market Street are alive with activity. Folks begin to grab outside tables to enjoy a dinner downtown. The thwack of tennis balls and clack of bocce balls punctuate the daily hum of activity. Windows are open at night. Butterflies and robins have returned.
And, as often is the case, the sound of music enhances this sweet atmosphere. I offer up here my top 10 picks for classic spring songs that will make you glad you made it through another tough winter.
1. “PIECES OF APRIL”
Three Dog Night, 1970
A slow and sweetly wistful song about remembering springtime and an early love.
“April gave us springtime, and the promise of the flowers, and the feeling that we both shared, and the love that we called ours.”
2. “I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW”
Johnny Nash, 1972
This reggae-infused anthem is hopeful and optimistic. Problems can now be faced squarely in the brightness of a new day.
“I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that made me blind. It’s gonna be a bright, bright, bright sun-shiny day.”
3. “IT’S A BEAUTIFUL MORNING”
The Rascals, 1968
Carefree and optimistic, the song perfectly captures all the possibilities of a beautiful spring day laid out before you.
“It’s a beautiful morning. I think I’ll go outside for awhile and smile.”
4. “SPRING VACATION”
Beach Boys, 2012
If you didn’t know the Beach Boys were still releasing songs in 2012, this lilting song with the unmistakable harmonies will likely leave you wanting more.
“Driving around, living the dream, I’m cruising the town, digging the scene. I’m not gonna stress, not gonna worry, doing our best, no need to hurry.”
5. “APRIL COME SHE WILL”
Simon & Garfunkel, 1966
A quiet, simple, acoustic song (with artistically-licensed grammar), comes in at under 2 minutes and reminds me of a child’s nursery rhyme.
“April come she will, May she will stay, June she’ll change her tune, July she will fly. August die she must.”
Art Garfunkel, left, and Paul Simon serenade an audience of close to one-half million in New York’s Central Park at a free concert Sept. 19, 1981.
6. “MR. BLUE SKY”
Electric Light Orchestra, 1977
This bouncy, happy-go-lucky song features an electric guitar and robotic voice. It always makes me smile.
“Sun is shinin’ in the sky. There ain’t a cloud in sight. It’s stopped raining. Everybody’s in the play.”
7. “SEASON SUITE: SPRING”
John Denver, 1972
This typical John Denver guitar song pulls me closer to nature and somehow makes me feel better about myself, too.
“Open up your eyes and see the brand new day. The clear blue sky and brightly shining sun.”
8. “A FATHER’S FIRST SPRING”
The Avett Brothers, 2012
This sweet, haunting, melancholy song proves that spring songs don’t always have to be peppy.
“Sweetest surrender of winter, she put up her flag. It is waving. The thunder of summer is rumbling in.”
9. “PRIMAVERA”
Carlos Santana, 1999
A Latin, syncopated song from this other-worldly guitar virtuoso pays homage to planet Earth at the best time of year.
“Como la Semilla, Lleva nueva vida, Hay en esta primavera, Una nueva era.”
10. “APRIL”
Deep Purple, 1969
A 12-minute, mesmerizing rock opera with a sweeping guitar intro. Lyrics finally kick in at the 9-minute mark and are not kind to April or springtime.
“April is a cruel time, even though the sun may shine and world looks in the shade as it slowly comes away. Still falls the April rain.”
Honorable Mentions: Tori Amos’ “Spring Haze,” Coldplay’s “Up with Birds,” Dawn’s “Here Comes the Spring,” Donovan’s “The Lullaby of Spring,” Jack Hartmann’s “Springtime Dance,” Elvis Presley’s “Spring Fever,” Chris Rea’s “Fires of Spring,” Carly Simon’s “Spring is Here,” Frank Sinatra’s “It Might as Well Be Spring” and Donna Summer’s “Spring Affair.”
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
Since 2016, brothers Zachary and Dylan Zmed, along with their partner and drummer Burleigh Drummond, have celebrated the pivotal music of the Everly Brothers with a heartfelt tribute.
That tribute, the Everly Brothers Experience, featuring the Zmed Brothers as the Everlys, plays at the Weinberg Center for the Arts at 8 p.m. April 20.
Presented by Key West Productions, the Everly Brothers Experience promises to be a trip down memory lane, revisiting the rich vocals and gorgeous harmonies popularized by the Everlys in the late ’50s and early ’60s.
“The music of the ’50s and ’60s are nostalgic for us,” they said in a press release. “Our parents raised us on it, and we feel that the Everlys’ contribution is greatly overlooked, especially by younger generations.”
The Zmed brothers do not try to impersonate the Everlys but honor their iconic sound by recreating the music as close to the original as possible.
I’m a little too young to remember the heyday of the Everly Brothers and other founders of rock ‘n roll as they came on the scene in the 1950s. However, it is no secret, for my generation at least, that the Everly Brothers had an outsized influence on the Beatles and many other iconic acts that came later. John Lennon and Paul McCartney made no secret of their admiration, patterning their unmistakable harmonies on the ones from “Don And Phil.”
Before the Beatles, Lennon and McCartney referred to themselves as “the British Everly Brothers” when hitchhiking to talent contests in England.
Other super groups, like the Beach Boys, Bee Gees, and Simon and Garfunkel, credit the Everlys as having a huge influence on their music.
I vividly remember my father was an avid Everly Brothers fan. He mostly enjoyed country music, especially Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings, but he made an exception for the Everlys.
It was no wonder. The Everlys embraced elements of country in their music with some twangy vocals and steel-string acoustic guitars. Today, their music might be categorized as country rock. Along with Elvis, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry and others, the Everly Brothers were among the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll.
As with many stars, the Everlys were raised in a musical family. They sang with their parents on the radio during their high school years. As they gained attention, they began writing and recording their own music. Their first hit song came in 1957, the hugely popular “Bye Bye Love.” It hit No. 1 in the spring, shortly after I was born, and stayed there for four weeks. You know the chorus: “Bye-bye love/ Bye-bye happiness/ Hello loneliness/ I think I’m-a gonna cry-y.”
Huge hits would follow, like “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have To Do Is Dream” (my No. 1 all-time favorite song about dreaming!), “When Will I Be Loved” (perhaps made more famous by Linda Ronstadt in 1974), “So Sad,” “Crying in the Rain” and “Problems.” Their biggest-selling single of all time, “Cathy’s Clown,” came in 1960. You know this one, too: “Here he co-o-o-omes: That’s Cathy’s clown.”
In a move that would be unheard of today, the brothers enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1961. Elvis did the very same thing. There were very few military exemptions back then, and it beat being drafted and sent to Vietnam.
But, unfortunately, unlike Elvis, the Everlys’ output and fame fell off upon their return. Their last big hit came in 1962 with “That’s Old Fashioned (That’s the Way Love Should Be).” The British Invasion took hold shortly thereafter, curtailing or ending the careers of many rock ‘n’ roll pioneers. They did, however, launch a successful touring career in the ’60s. In the ’70s, the brothers began releasing solo recordings — but no hits — and officially broke up in 1973.
They got back together for a while in the ’80s, performing periodically until Phil’s death in 2014. Don died seven years later in 2021.
In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked the Everlys as the No. 1 greatest musical duo of all time. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1986, along with such first-name luminaries as Elvis, Chuck, Buddy and Jerry Lee. The Everlys were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Musician’s Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019.
By all accounts, they were unaffected by their meteoric stardom. They said in 1960 at the height of their popularity, “We’re not Grand Ole Opry … we’re obviously not Perry Como … we’re just pop music.”
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
GULF SHORES, AL – JULY 11: Musician Jimmy Buffett performs onstage at Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live from the Gulf Coast, a concert presented by CMT at on the beach on July 11, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)
Jimmy Buffett lived a life most of us can only dream of. By all accounts it was wacky, wild and wonderful.
We all know about his hugely successful music career. He recorded more than 30 albums, wrote and recorded a career-defining and endlessly entertaining song in “Margaritaville” and built a string of successful Margaritaville restaurants and resorts.
But did you know he was a best-selling author and a seaplane pilot?
He wrote three best-selling books: “Tales from Margaritaville,” “Where is Joe Merchant,” and “A Pirate Looks at Fifty.”
Piloting a seaplane was his way of escaping reality and inviting family and friends on his many adventures, fishing and otherwise, all around the Caribbean.
His early life wasn’t always easy, though.
He flunked out of college, flunked his draft physical and started a band in his 20s, but it got no traction, so it broke up soon after.
He was divorced twice, went broke once and survived not one, but two, devastating crashes: one by car and one by seaplane that he only survived due to some Navy training.
Later, he broke the same leg three times in one year, did a lot of dope and went into therapy.
But there’s no reason to focus on the negative stuff because Jimmy never did.
He spent his life looking optimistically for the next opportunity and he almost always found it. He was signed to a recording contract at ABC Records in 1973 to replace his recently deceased friend, Jim Croce.
Buffett died last year on Sept. 1 at age 76, from complications from Merkle cell carcinoma, a rare type of skin cancer.
Somehow, fittingly, he died on the last day of meteorological summer. If the “music died” when Buddy Holly died, could it be that summer died with Jimmy Buffett? We’ll have to wait and see this summer.
I was never a big Jimmy Buffett fan and certainly never a “parrothead”— the term reserved for his most loyal, diehard fans who could always be counted on to dress up in wild costumes at his concerts, perhaps with a parrot on their shoulder.
But I can appreciate the niche he carved out for himself in the music business, much to everyone’s surprise.
One can name no other artist (other than the Beach Boys) who so completely embodied a carefree, island-hopping, “strumming my six-string on my front porch swing,” summery persona.
Buffett may have described himself best when he said: “I’ve got a Caribbean soul I can barely control.” He and his Coral Reefer band toured the world for nearly 50 years, bringing joy wherever they set down.
My wife and I have been to a few of his concerts and always had a really good time.
Near the end, he wasn’t much of a singer. He was more like an affable host or a barefoot ringleader of one giant outdoor party.
Sometimes, you felt like he was phoning it in, not giving it much effort. But the more I thought about it, isn’t that the essence of Jimmy Buffett anyway, making it look easy and effortless?
Surprisingly, he started out as more of a country singer. His 1974 heartfelt ballad “Come Monday” was a big hit on both the country and pop charts. It has an unmistakable country feel to it.
But soon after, something changed. He was no longer country. He embraced what might be called tropical island or Caribbean music, with a strong influence of steel drums and simple melodies and lyrics. By all accounts, he went back to his roots.
When “Margaritaville” hit the airwaves in 1977, it was impossible not to like the song or the carefree-looking artist that penned and sang it. “Margaritaville” speaks not of a town, but of a state of mind when you use your favorite adult beverage to numb yourself to life and your inability to do much with it.
With exasperation but acceptance, Buffett sang “Don’t know the reason / stayed here all season / Nothin’ to show but this brand new tattoo. But it’s a real beauty / a Mexican cutie / how it got here I haven’t a clue.”
He then finished up plaintively “Wasted away again in Margaritaville, Searching for my lost shaker of salt. Some people say that there’s a woman to blame. But I know / it’s my own damn fault.”
To this day when I hear it, I can’t help but smile and sing along. Putting smiles on strangers’ faces — not a bad legacy to leave.
GULF SHORES, AL – JULY 11: Musician Jimmy Buffett performs onstage at Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live from the Gulf Coast, a concert presented by CMT at on the beach on July 11, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)
Winter is upon us once again, and unlike my friends to the south, I love it — the chill of the air and the heat of the fireplace.
I suspect many of you feel the same.
To me, real winter begins right after the holidays. I don’t even consider December to be part of winter.
On Jan. 2, family get-togethers, all the anticipation, celebrations and sparkle of the holiday season are gone. We are left with two full months (or more) of persevering and seeing what we are made of.
And, it’s absolutely invaluable.
There’s something about winter that toughens us and opens our eyes to myriad possibilities. We buckle down. We work hard. We don’t worry about vacations. Days are short. Time is of the essence. When we accomplish something, particularly outdoors, we feel good about ourselves. We feel like we can’t be deterred.
But there can be a melancholy about winter. There’s an overabundance of darkness. The other three seasons seem long ago and far away. Unfortunately, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can rear its ugly head with some folks, causing mental and physical ailments.
Still, if you can, try to embrace the season. Embrace the cold. Embrace the melancholy. Spring will come in fits and starts and everything will be renewed again.
Here are my top 17 classic rock songs about winter (or set in the winter) to help get you through, nee, celebrate, the season.
Warm, caring loner holed up in his cabin, longing for an absent love. “The lamp is burnin’ low upon my table top, the snow is softly falling, the air is still in the silence of my room, I hear your voice softly calling.”
Sweet, poignant song about losing a love but taking it well. “It was only a winter’s tale, just another winter’s tale, and why should the world take notice, of one more love that’s failed?”
Longing for the warmth of LA during a cold winter in New York City. “All the leaves are brown, and the sky is gray, I’ve been for a walk, on a winter’s day.”
Not the same tune as the Moody Blues song above, but Freddie Mercury singing gorgeously of life and beauty as both wind down. “It’s winter-fall, red skies are gleaming, sea-gulls are flyin’ over, swans are floatin’ by, smoking chimney-tops.”
Quintessential pop tune contemplating the passing of the seasons with a focus on winter. “But look around, leaves are brown now, and the sky is a hazy shade of winter.”
Song explores longing, isolation and heartbreak—the cold realities of life. “Cold is the color of crystal, the snow light, that falls from the heavenly skies, catch me and let me dive under, for I want to swim in the pools of your eyes.”
Johnny Mercer lyrics contemplating the pain of growing old and of reliving lost love. “I should be over it now, I know, it doesn’t matter much how old I grow, I hate to see October go.”
A heartwarming song trying to explain the rapture of true love when it’s cold outside. “If I put my arms around you, turn you in from the storm, from your autumn through winter, darling I’ll keep you warm.”
The wonder of glowing, snowy mountaintops at dawn and dusk. “As the winter days unfold, hearts grow warmer with the cold, peace of mind is all you know, winter’s gold, Aspenglow.”
Lovely ballad about (somehow!) a peaceful death out in the cold. “Lay your body down upon the midnight snow, feel the cold of winter in your hair, here in a world of your own, in a casing that’s grown.”
Sad story about being away and missing home. “This is my December, these are my snow-covered dreams, this is me pretending, this is all I need.”
14. “WINTERTIME LOVE” The Doors, 1968 A plea for love and warmth in the cold season. “Wintertime winds blow cold to season, fallin’ in love, I’m hopin’ to be, wind is so cold, is that the reason? Keeping you warm, your hands touching me.”
Peppy song about yearning for youth in the twilight of life. “Beneath this snowy mantle, cold and clean, the unborn grass lies waiting, for its coat to turn to green, the snowbird sings the song he always sings.”
Song bemoans the realities of the season and hopes for spring love. “And it sure been a cold, cold winter, and the wind ain’t been blowin’ from the south, it’s sure been a cold, cold winter, And a lotta love is all burned out.”
Slow, moody “acquired-taste” song that drips with sexual innuendo cloaked in seasonal comparisons. “Summer’s sweet and she brings me water, but give me winter, that old icy whore, summer lies meek and follows orders, winter cries “Me!” and pulls you through the door.”
“50 Years Gone: A Tribute to Jim Croce” will hit downtown Frederick at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at New Spire Arts for two shows, one of which is already sold out. Presented by Key West Productions, the show was put together as a loving, musical tribute to the life and music of Jim Croce.
According to show producer Tom Kohlhepp, Frederick will be the first stop for this show.
The duo of Mike Schirf and Chris Masheck will take the stage and not only play all of Croce’s biggest hits, like “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Time in a Bottle,” “I Got a Name” and “Operator,” but they’ll also tell the great stories that Croce told during his all-too-short career.
They’ll also sing many of Croce’s lesser-known songs, like “Roller Derby Queen,” “One Less Set of Footsteps” and “Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues.”
“This night will be really [about] spending time not only listening to Croce’s music but more importantly, I think, getting to know more about the man,” Kohlhepp said. “He wrote so many of his best songs about people he actually knew and came across in life.”
Schirf will sing and play the Jim Croce parts. He is a big Croce fan, according to Kohlhepp, and includes many of Croce’s songs in his setlist when playing his own gigs.
Once Schirf and Kohlhepp decided to put this show together, they settled on Chris Masheck as the best person to accompany Schirf in Maury Muehleisen’s role. All Jim Croce fans know the impact Maury’s beautiful guitar work had on Croce’s success. It’s a testament to the producer that his part is included in the show.
It should be noted, Schirf and Masheck will not attempt to look like the original band members. “The feel and the sound are what we’re really going after,” Kohlhepp said.
Kohlhepp’s production company will also offer the “It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere” show about the life and times of the late Jimmy Buffett at New Spire Arts in February. Kohlhepp was privileged to know Buffett and has lots of interesting, little-known stories to share. “I really like doing my research and enjoy sharing these stories with anyone who wants to listen,” he said.
And if you were wondering, yes, Croce and Buffett knew each other in real life and got together a few times in the early ‘70s. Buffett was actually signed in 1974 to take Croce’s place on the roster of ABC Records’ recording artists after Croce passed.
Back in early August, in the pages of 72 Hours, Crystal Schelle wrote evocatively about the music of George Michael and Wham! and how much their music meant to her youth.
I know exactly how she feels.
For me, it was an obscure ‘70s singer-songwriter named Jim Croce that got into my soul and never left. Music has that power, somehow, to grab ahold of you and not let go. If you don’t have an artist that does that for you, I urge you to keep looking. It is one of the sweetest things in life.
Croce only reached American consciousness for one year before dying tragically 50 years ago this week in 1973. I cannot begin to tell you what his music means to me, even to this day. But, I’ll try.
Philadelphian James Joseph Croce had a mysterious knack for singing about the very things I was feeling as a teenager in the ‘70s, and he did it with a kind of carefree coolness that belied his long climb to fame. His relaxed demeanor is hard to describe but comes out clearly, I think, in photographs.
The album cover for “Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live,” for example, shows him on a stool playing his guitar in an old work shirt and boots, a cigar dangling beneath his enormous mustache. He didn’t seem to realize or care how big he was becoming. He caught the sensitive singer-songwriter craze of the early ‘70s, writing most of his own songs and producing three critically acclaimed albums.
A copy of the author’s own DVD
Croce didn’t so much burst on the scene as amble up to it. He provided some pleasant pop tunes in 1972, including his self-effacing hit “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” and the lovely but sad ballad “Operator” that spoke of getting over lost love (but not really). Both songs made the top 10. I’m almost ashamed to say that I wasn’t really aware of Croce in 1972. I honestly can’t remember either song playing on the radio. But, as an awkward 10th-grader, I wasn’t really into music yet.
Croce spent years chasing his musical dreams, occasionally giving up for a while and doing all kinds of blue-collar jobs that he reportedly loved. He was a trucker, construction worker, jackhammer operator, soldier and special education teacher, among other things. Little did we know that doing those jobs and getting to know the other workers would eventually bring us such spot-on character studies as Leroy Brown, Big Jim Walker, Rapid Roy the Stock Car Boy, Spike (aka Tuffy), the infamous Roller Derby Queen, the unnamed car wash attendant with big dreams and Speedball Tucker.
In that fateful year of 1973, however, Croce came into his own with the rollicking story-song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” which speaks of the comeuppance of a really bad dude living in the Southside of Chicago. Croce sang, “If you go down there, you better just beware of a man name’a Leroy Brown.”
You know someone is more than just a pop artist if they add everyday lexicon to the English language. Jim Croce did that at least twice. The next time you describe a lost cause as “spitting into the wind” or a really mean person as “meaner than a junkyard dog,” you have Croce to thank.
“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” is a funny, funky song (with a bad word thrown in there for good measure) that we all sang with abandon. It seemed like it was always on the radio during the summer of ‘73, rising to No. 1 in July and staying there for two weeks and in the top 10 for 10 weeks through late August. I can still remember driving down the road and hearing that unmistakable opening piano riff arriving unannounced on the radio and instantly singing along and going much too fast. It was up for a Grammy and brought implausible celebrity to Croce. He spoke of writing the song about a not-too-bright Army buddy who went AWOL but came back to get his paycheck.
Stardom beckoned as Croce quickly went on to host the top music shows of the day: “The Midnight Special,” “In Concert” and “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert” in August and early September of ‘73, a time where there was no MTV, YouTube or streaming services. He even guest-hosted “The Tonight Show” once.
As good of a singer as Croce was, he may have been an even better storyteller. Between songs, he seamlessly shared funny stories of playing in bars surrounded by chicken wire so he wouldn’t get hit by flying beer bottles and of being attracted to a five-foot-six, 215-pound “roller derby queen” who had a tooth removed so she could fit a cigarette up in there and keep her hands free.
Jim Croce, 1972
Sadly, just a month later, at the apex of his career, on Sept. 20, 1973, Croce and his guitar virtuoso accompanist, Maury Muehleisen, and several others in his party perished in a tragic small plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana, en route to a gig. The plane snagged a pecan tree on takeoff and tumbled to the ground in a ball of fire. Croce and the others were killed instantly. Pilot error was to blame.
He’s been gone 50 years now, and it seems like yesterday I was driving my dad’s Plymouth Satellite to the opening days of my junior year of high school and hearing the heartbreaking news on the radio. I literally had to stop and collect myself before going to school.
No one could have imagined what would happen next.
Instantaneously, the record-buying public couldn’t get enough of Croce. The stardom that eluded him during his life came flooding in after his death, as if we had to make it up to him somehow. His previous two albums shot to the top of the charts. A single released the very day of his death, “I Got a Name,” entered the top 10 immediately. His just-released album of the same name joined its two brethren by becoming one of the top three best-selling albums. Croce’s other two previously released albums also rose in popularity: “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” soared to No. 1, and “Life and Times” settled in at No. 3. This trifecta has never again been matched in the music business.
Amazingly, all this happened in the span of a month or two. His albums went from sales in the 50,000 range nationwide to selling over 1 million copies each. To this day, I don’t know how they printed them fast enough to satisfy demand. I relished the chance to play his 8-track tapes every night during intermission at the drive-in theater I was working at in ’74 and ’75. We never got a complaint (as far as I know).
If all this weren’t enough, shortly after the single and album “I Got a Name” hit the charts at the time of his death, a lovely, obscure Croce deep cut from his first album called “Time in a Bottle” was being featured in a TV movie called “She Lives.”
The public demanded it be released as a single by bombarding radio stations with requests for it. It went on to become the No. 1 single in December 1973 through January 1974. You may know it as a very popular wedding song to this day.
One line in the song brought sadness to everyone (and still does for me): “There never seems to be enough time to do the things you want to do once you find them.” Indeed. So true.
I tell you all this because the music industry had never seen anything like it before or since. To be sure, we had very popular artists die way too soon — Elvis, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Michael Jackson. But to some extent, all these artists had shortened their own lives due to their own actions. The murder of John Lennon in 1980 shook the world, but there was no denying his best musical days were behind him. Thirty-year-old Jim Croce was neither killing himself quickly or slowly.
You have to go all the way back to the ‘50s and the tragic death of a very young Buddy Holly in another small plane crash to come anywhere close to the outpouring of sentiment that came after Croce’s death.
Record executives have chalked up this phenomenon to the public feeling cheated that this promising new artist was gone before they really got a chance to know him. He wasn’t on the way out; he was on the way up. He was soft spoken and humble. He was a family man. His songs were somehow different. We just knew there were a lot more funny, up-tempo songs and quiet, romantic ballads coming our way from this everyman troubadour.
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Jim Croce Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
I believe his looks had a lot to do with his popularity, too. He doubled down on his working-man persona by sporting curly, unkept hair, a big mustache that looked like it never saw a razor, work shirts, work boots and jeans. Tattoos rounded out the look — and tattoos were not a fashion statement for young people in the ‘70s like they are today. Tattoos were reserved for sailors, convicts and really bad dudes not yet convicted. The dichotomy is that he was none of these. He looked tough, but from all reports, he was a sweet, gentle, soft-spoken guy. As far as blue-collar rockers go, he was Bruce Springsteen before there was a Bruce Springsteen.
Ahh, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Jim Croce likely would have gone on to have a similar career to those of John Denver and James Taylor — long, popular, highly respected and very near to superstar quality. He would have been a staple on TV and most probably a talk show host.
His music was hard to categorize. It was part folk, part pop and part easy-listening, I suppose. He had a very distinctive voice that was (and still is) immediately recognizable, sometimes funny and self-effacing and other times sweet and gentle. He told evocative stories of everyday people because he was one of them. To this day, his songs remain on heavy rotation on certain Sirius XM channels. They frequently pop up in movies like “Django Unchained” and series like “Stranger Things.”
I was trying to think of an analogy that might drive home the tragedy most of us felt in 1973. The best I can come up with is this: Suppose a promising young artist named Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber or Ed Sheeran, who we were just becoming aware of and whose songs were funny and different and great, was suddenly killed in a plane crash. I imagine that would be like losing Jim Croce in the ‘70s. He was becoming that big.
But time goes on and Croce is largely forgotten now. For a few of us, though, he lives on. Meeting Jim’s widow and fellow musician Ingrid Croce, at her delightful Italian restaurant in San Diego (named Croce’s, of course) was one of the happiest days of my life. She was sweet and accommodating, but I couldn’t help wondering if she had secretly activated a panic button due to my exuberance at meeting her.
Catch the live show “50 Years Gone: A Tribute to Jim Croce” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at New Spire Arts. The performance is a musical tribute to the life and music of Jim Croce. Mike Schirf and Chris Masheck will take the stage and not only play all of Croce’s biggest hits but will also tell the great stories that Croce told during his all-too-short career.
Relive the powerhouse music that shaped a generation with Neil Berg’s The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll, rolling into Frederick’s Weinberg Center on April 21 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are still available.
Composer/producer/arranger/musician Neil Berg returns to Frederick with his new production that takes us on a musical trip to the stormy, counterculture 60’s. Berg and his talented troupe of musicians last wowed Frederick audiences in October 2021 with his show 50 Years of Rock N’ Roll.
In this new production, Berg recounts the 60’s through music and stories, culminating with a celebration of the historic Woodstock concert in 1969. If you didn’t make it to Woodstock like me (I was only 12) but remember all the wonderful music wafting down the hall from your big sister’s jukebox, you’ll not want to miss this rollicking evening.
Berg is privy to many behind-the-scenes stories from Woodstock due to his personal friendship with Michael Lang, the original organizer and producer of the iconic event.
“Michael brought me into his New York City office about 15 years ago to discuss the possibility of writing a Broadway musical about Woodstock—stories about unknown artists like Bert Sommer, who was in the Broadway musical Hair, and who was a solo artist at Woodstock and got the first standing ovation.”
That idea morphed into The 60’s: Peace, Love & Rock N’ Roll when Berg realized there are many more stories to tell and music to play that had nothing to do with Woodstock. Berg is not shy about sharing these tales.
Berg promises we’ll hear the story of Joni Mitchell’s song Woodstock, and her relationship to Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, who were famously playing only their second concert ever in public. We’ll learn about the famous bands that were invited to play, but did not. We’ll hear about Carlos Santana playing his entire Woodstock set tripping on LSD given to him by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead.
And don’t forget the music! Berg and his merry band of Broadway performers will cover the music of Woodstock acts Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald, The Band, Canned Heat, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, Sly and the Family Stone, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker. (Lineup is subject to change.)
A who’s who of 60’s rockers who did not perform at Woodstock will be covered too: Bob Dylan, Four Seasons, Beach Boys, Beatles, Rolling Stones, James Brown, Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin, Monkees, Neil Diamond, Cream, Mamas and the Papas, Otis Redding, Doors, Shirelles, Tina Turner, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and more.
For everyone who wanted to be at Woodstock but wasn’t, The 60’s: Peace, Love and Rock N’ Roll will make you feel like you are there.
