Each week, the XM Radio '70s channel airs a broadcast of one of Casey Kasem's "American Top 40" countdowns that originally aired in the '70s. These are wonderful to listen to, almost like stepping into a musical time capsule, and I make it a point to DVR them from DirecTv each week.
This past weekend, the featured countdown was from June 8, 1974. The number-one single in the U.S.A. that week was Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run."
Ah, "Band on the Run." If there was ever a defining song for me, as a lifelong music collector and enthusiast, that would be the one. Although I've heard thousands of amazing songs since the first time I heard "Band" in the spring of '74, none of them has ever quite had the same impact on me as that McCartney classic did. It's been my all-time favorite song for 34 (34!!! Where does the time go??) years now, and counting, and was the beginning of my ever-growing record and music collection (some would say obsession! ;-) ).
But why "Band on the Run"? What was it about that song that made such an impression on a then not quite six-year-old girl in 1974?
"Band on the Run" was not the first pop song I can remember hearing - far from it, actually. I have memories of hearing songs on the car radio and on my parents' record player as far back as 1971 - Lobo's "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" are two I recall most vividly. It also wasn't the first pop song I remember liking a lot, as in addition to the aforementioned two, there were others I enjoyed listening to on the radio when they came on.
But it was the first song for me that had, for lack of a better description, the "WOW" factor. That's the feeling you get when a song strikes a deep chord with you, and you find yourself wanting to hear it over and over and dissect all the nuances of the arrangement. It's when something about the melody, chord sequence, instrumental arrangements and/or the song structure really stands out to you and captivates you on an emotional level. I loved everything about the song, from the opening guitar riff to the smooth vocals of the "Stuck inside these four walls" section, from the great edginess of the "If we ever get out of here" segment to the build-up to the main song section.
Of course, in the spring of 1974 I was just finishing up kindergarten and wasn't able to articulate well what it was about the song that appealed to me so much. But I remember being ecstatic every time it came on the radio, and I began pestering my parents to buy me the 45 rpm single so I could listen to the song whenever I wanted.
I still remember the Saturday I finally got the 45. It was at a discount department store near where I lived, that always had a well-stocked display of the latest hit singles. My mom bought "Band on the Run" for me, and Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" for herself. When we got home, I played the song over and over (as well as the flip side, "Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five," a superb song as well). It continued to be one of my most-played 45s well up into my adult years.
Now, when I listen to the song, it's as an almost 40-year-old woman, hearing it played via CD, a technology that was still far in the future in 1974. But it still brings a smile to my face, very much the way it did 34 years ago. I have a feeling it always will.
This past weekend, the featured countdown was from June 8, 1974. The number-one single in the U.S.A. that week was Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run."
Ah, "Band on the Run." If there was ever a defining song for me, as a lifelong music collector and enthusiast, that would be the one. Although I've heard thousands of amazing songs since the first time I heard "Band" in the spring of '74, none of them has ever quite had the same impact on me as that McCartney classic did. It's been my all-time favorite song for 34 (34!!! Where does the time go??) years now, and counting, and was the beginning of my ever-growing record and music collection (some would say obsession! ;-) ).
But why "Band on the Run"? What was it about that song that made such an impression on a then not quite six-year-old girl in 1974?
"Band on the Run" was not the first pop song I can remember hearing - far from it, actually. I have memories of hearing songs on the car radio and on my parents' record player as far back as 1971 - Lobo's "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" and Cher's "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" are two I recall most vividly. It also wasn't the first pop song I remember liking a lot, as in addition to the aforementioned two, there were others I enjoyed listening to on the radio when they came on.
But it was the first song for me that had, for lack of a better description, the "WOW" factor. That's the feeling you get when a song strikes a deep chord with you, and you find yourself wanting to hear it over and over and dissect all the nuances of the arrangement. It's when something about the melody, chord sequence, instrumental arrangements and/or the song structure really stands out to you and captivates you on an emotional level. I loved everything about the song, from the opening guitar riff to the smooth vocals of the "Stuck inside these four walls" section, from the great edginess of the "If we ever get out of here" segment to the build-up to the main song section.
Of course, in the spring of 1974 I was just finishing up kindergarten and wasn't able to articulate well what it was about the song that appealed to me so much. But I remember being ecstatic every time it came on the radio, and I began pestering my parents to buy me the 45 rpm single so I could listen to the song whenever I wanted.
I still remember the Saturday I finally got the 45. It was at a discount department store near where I lived, that always had a well-stocked display of the latest hit singles. My mom bought "Band on the Run" for me, and Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" for herself. When we got home, I played the song over and over (as well as the flip side, "Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five," a superb song as well). It continued to be one of my most-played 45s well up into my adult years.
Now, when I listen to the song, it's as an almost 40-year-old woman, hearing it played via CD, a technology that was still far in the future in 1974. But it still brings a smile to my face, very much the way it did 34 years ago. I have a feeling it always will.
1 comment:
Ah, yes. Band On The Run. I have a well-worn and barely playable copy in my 45 box.
Excellent choice.
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