One of the earliest songs I can remember singing to was Love Potion Number Nine by the Searchers. It was 1964 in Southern California. That song, also recorded in 1959 by the Clovers, was written by legendary tunesmiths Jerry Leiber and Mile Stoller. Its pop simplicity and early rock arrangement was high harmony to my carefree indolence and musical coming of age. I can remember walking over the hot sand of Gillis Beach heading at a brisk pace towards the water singing the chorus with three of my pals, ‘I held my nose, I closed my eyes….I took a drink.’
I sometimes tell the sordid tales of my growing up on the beach in the 60s and 70s to the devoted musicologists in my spin classes. This morning as we breezed through a set of 3x2s, two minutes climbing out of saddle, two at 7/120 and two working upper body with the bands (I was subbing), ‘She’d Rather be with Me’ suddenly popps up in rippin Turtles style. We are doing bicep curls so I had an opportunity to ad-lib a little. ‘So if you happen to be engaged in a particularly gnarly game of trivia at anytime over the weekend, ask the opposition what early rock vocalist with four top ten hits hanging on the wall as gold records was the 1969 valedictorian at Westchester High School in Southern California.’ ***
It was a wonderful time to be body surfing at ten, playing baseball in the cool afternoons and hanging out playing Monopoly at night. We were sandwiched between the Beach Boys and The Turtles, both bands calling a stretch of Pacific Ocean between Playa del Rey and Manhattan Beach home. I can remember sitting atop a brick wall to watch the Turtles, then the Crossfires, rehearse. By the time the British Invasion landed we would take transistor radios into our classrooms to blare Beatles tunes that were running round the clock of LA stations KRLA, KFWB and KLOS, literally commandeering whatever subject matter was previously scheduled. Needless to say the Nuns at our Catholic school were shocked, appalled and fierce in their disapproval. We were lucky if we got in I Wanna Hold Your Hand or She Loves You before Sister Superior walked in with a yardstick grasped firmly behind her habit and an unholy sneer on her red face. And by the way, that magical final note of She Loves You is a sixth.
One of the regular tennis players at the club asked me this morning if I used some type of a system in the development of my set lists. He was asking because the night before he and his lovely wife had watched 'Sound City’ and he said it reminded him of fun times from his youth, and, he added, of my sets. I went into somewhat a rolling monologue as answer, citing the many musical inspirations gleaned along the many trails I have been fortunate to traverse, this long and mostly strange trip, and ending with yesterdays study of the bass line from Drive My Car and the Steely Dan tribute that will debut Monday. I added that since music, natural, recorded, old or new is everywhere, the more we understand it the better chance we have to understand and enjoy its magic and majesty.
I am not sure if it qualifies as serendipitous or not, but the second I spotted the $1,000 price tag (see photo) I felt like kissing everything in sight. I’ll take a gallon please.
*** Howard Kaylan.
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