While there are many songs that I have a nostalgic fondness for two come readily to mind. The first because it has an interesting twist to its story and the latter because of the particular things it reminds me of. When I was a teen there was an all night (midnite till 6am) radio show that originated here in our fair capital that was quite literally broadcast and "skipped" over much of the country...even into Canada that was called (for most of its run) either simply "Beeker Street" or "Beeker Street Theatre". The DJ was a fellow who called himself Clyde Clifford (his real name was Dale Sidenshwartz)...who still lives here BTW...and he played essentially the same set list every single night for years and years as I grew up. In between songs he played a melange of eerie, etherial sounds...the show, the sound and, most important, the songs were immediately identifiable to the listening public and even though the set list NEVER EVER really changed from night to night it was immensly popular everywhere it aired or could be picked up via "skip". There were a handful of songs that became the "anchors" of the show but one in particular was "Cindy's Cryin" by a group calling itself Deep Water Reunion from up Minnesota way. There was just something about the female lead vocalist's treatment that was both haunting and engaging. And, if I'm not mistaken, it was the most requested song on the show. It still brings back memories of staying up all night to listen to Beeker Street...especially on weekends....everytime I still (on rare occasions) hear it. And now the twist. Turns out the lead singers parents lived right here and when she got tired of being on the road she moved back here and settled down to raise a family. She came to work for us over twenty years ago and is now a minority partner and our "office manager". She also is still a killer singer. Small world.
The second is the song "Keep on Chooglin" by Creedence. We played the album that contained that song in our drummer's parent's Buick Electra's 8track player till we wore both it and the player out on hot summer nights at the river while we chugged beer that some "older boy" had bought for us earlier that night at the liquor store just across the county line. Good times.