Song From The Past

Earlier today I happened to hear the song that will be posted below.

Over the course of one's life we all have a finite number of life-altering events, I suppose. In terms of relationships, there is no question that I had three, maybe four life-altering relationships. The first one was in the summer of 1971. Although to others the geographical separation would have been the obvious reason that the relationship did not last, that was not the case. At the time and in retrospect it was clear to me, and most likely clear to her, that although we had the deepest feelings for each other, there was something intangible that both of us knew, something intangible that would prevent us from taking our relationship to the next level, that next level being a mutual agreement to a lifelong commitment.

If there is one song that brings back all those memories it is the video below. Interestingly, the memories come flooding back with the immediate opening chords/riff. In addition, this song has no relevancy to any of the other relationships, even those that also ended prematurely.

It's Too Late, Carole King
************************   On another note, this song brings home to me how really incredible the music was in the late 60s, early 70's as music truly mature, truly moved to a new level, beginning with the Beatles ad then moving in multiple directions.

I assume there is a book out there somewhere  documenting the culture history of the 60's and 70's but I haven't found it. I'm not talking about fluff, but something serious, something that could have only been written by a prose poet. I'll have to keep looking.

************************   Interestingly, there was one other song that I associate with the summer of 1971:

Spanish Harlem, Aretha Franklin

I spent my days, six days a week, in my own special "Spanish Harlem" in a suburb of New York City in the summer of 1971. I remember catching snippets of radio reports and/or television reports of a moon landing. Of course, without wiki I would not know which one, but this was the one: Apollo 15:

It was also the first mission on which the Lunar Roving Vehicle was used. The mission began on July 26, 1971, and ended on August 7. At the time, NASA called it the most successful manned flight ever achieved.

Okay, one more. Wow, if this one doesn't describe that summer of 1971, I don't know what would:

Maggie May, Rod Stewart

This song, by the way, may be THE song that introduced me to music. We did not listen to music growing up at home in Williston, North Dakota. I first really listened to music when I sent college, but it probably wasn't until this one and the Bee Gees that I was first truly moved by music.