As I drove in this morning, I heard Sam Cook “Cupid”, and began thinking about how my mother influenced my politics, music and just over all growth. Normally I think about some initiatives, their impact and time frames of implementation while building a message inspiring ownership and enthusiasm because of the growth it will create in the team and hopefully extend innovative thinking in the team. Boring right? Not for me.
But today I rested my mind enjoying the oldies I have begun to listen to lately and Sam Cook has always been one of my favorites. The smoothness of his melodies and the voice that just sounds like a golden tone out of an old Philco dashboard radio surrounded by miles of metal dashboard and yellow AM lights. It warms up the mind and reminds me of times when I was around five and my mother began introducing me to music. She would play me records from Bread and David Gates or she’d let me stay up and watch the Midnight Special and see Tina Turner and Janis Joplin, the Rolling Stones and then there was Wolfman Jack introducing Manfred Mann Earth Band or Earth Wind and Fire. Sly and the Family Stone. All these songs and lyrics would spin around and fill the room with such warmth and energy and you couldn’t help but be happy and alive listening and watching these wonderful musicians share there experiences and talents with us.
So Sam Cook plays and I think of that influence and how one day, after hearing him, the Beatles, Stones and such and really liking them, I finally heard Elvis and was sold. This was the end. He provided me at age 5, with a full voice and nice melody and gave me an eagerness to get home and fire up the record player after school. Nothing else would do. I didn’t want to hear the radio and no one but Elvis mattered.
But then in second grade, I stumbled onto Kiss. And my life started over! Theatrics, danger, controversy, satanic worship rumors. All the things a shock rock band is known for and more. This was followed with David Bowie, Mark Bolin and Sweet. Jimi Hendrix, Led Zepplin when I found out I was partially named for Jimmy Page.
My whole trip this morning started with a sound. Science says more memory retention and reaction comes from smell but I challenge you to not have a memory pop up when a song comes on the radio, good or bad, that doesn’t remind you of a key point in time that will make you smile and remember that time. When I hear 70’s music my first thought is summer and the 4th of July, movie theaters and carnivals. I saw Saturday Night Fever 20 times if once and Grease I cant even think of how many times I saw that. Just the music that played as you waited for the feature to come on reminds me of sitting in the faded curtained auditorium as the curtains parted and that Paramount screen showed up warning us the movie was starting.
Getting on a skateboard and riding through the park as the geese and ducks run to the pond when you fly by and in the back ground someone has Jerry Rafferty playing or Styx.
Anyway, I must get to work now. I have reviews to write and thought I would get my mind going as well as write something not work related to loosen my brain.
XO ILY YM
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