Playlist

A Track of Time: 1971-1987

Songs From My Siblings

As usual, it starts with a parent. My dad gladly and loudly shared the music he loved. Over and over again, as is well documented on this site.

My siblings definitely had their musical influence on me too, and I definitely didn’t know growing up that the music I was hearing was matchless. There were five of us, born between 1957-1968. The music my siblings introduced me to through their albums is a feast of the ’70s and ’80s, the best decades of music.

Music evokes the nostalgia of those days; sitting in front of the record player with liner notes in hand digesting by the vinyl plateful my brothers’ and sisters’ albums, listening to the scratchy goodness of an LP album spinning on an inexpensive turntable.

The young boy in Stevie Wonder’s I Wish [track 27] wishes those days never had to end, wants those days to come back once more. I can’t say that because I liked growing up and I’m more than happy with the people in my life right now.

But I’d take a one-hour “best of 1964-1982” tour: my mom making pork cutlets and parsley buttered potatoes, my older sisters dancing to Soul Train in the living room of our big old house, my brothers playing cars or making forts, and my dad trying to riff to That’s the Way of the World after commandeering my sister’s Earth, Wind & Fire album.

Like all kids, we didn’t always agree. I can complain that that they got on my nerves, but I can’t recall a dud when they brought home an album. The sentiment probably can’t be reciprocated because my Muppet Movie and Grease soundtrack album phases lasted longer than anyone wanted.

These are the songs I liked best; not all of them were the hits, but that’s the joy of albums because you get acquainted with all the songs. This playlist is a part of me and a piece of them. It’s Track of Time: 1971-1987 on Spotify by Marie M. This track is worth a listen (but if you’re listening with my oldest brother, don’t sing out loud – he’s not a fan).

Songs from My Sibs:

That’s the Way of the World and Reasons from 1975’s Earth, Wind and Fire, The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire, Vol. 1

Deacon Blues and Peg Steely Dan’s Aja in 1977

Scenes From an Italian Restaurant from Billy Joel’s Stranger album of 1977 – It’s a long song, and I know all the words

I‘ll Be Good to You from the album Look Out for #1 by The Brothers Johnson in 1976

Still Crazy After All These Years and I Do It for Your Love by Paul Simon from his 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years

Shower the People from James Taylor’s 1976 album In the Pocket It’s a ballad of the ’70s, even better than Coca Cola’s: “I’d like to teach the world to sing…”

Bennie and the Jets, from Elton John’s Good Bye Yellow Brick Road and Daniel from Don’t Shoot I’m Only the Piano Player -both in 1973

Down Under from 1981’s Business as Usual and Overkill from 1983’s Cargo album from Men at Work

Fanny Be Tender from The Bee Gees’ 1975 Main Course album No one else seems to know this song but I love it.

It’s Tricky from 1987’s Raising Hell by Run-DMC

Riding the Storm Out from the same titled album released by REO Speedwagon (when they were R.E.O. Speedwagon and not overplayed on the radio) in 1973

You Talk Too Much 1985’a King of Rock album by Run-DMC

Flip, Flop & Fly and Groove Me from Blues Brothers Briefcase Full of Blues in 1978 Rubber Biscuit almost made the cut.

Sweet Thing from 1975’s Rufus featuring Chaka Khan where the featured singer was the star

I Wish and Sir Duke from Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life in 1976

Sultans of Swing from Dire Straits’ album Dire Straits which hit the US in 1978- “He don’t give a damn about any trumpet-playing band. It ain’t what they call rock and roll.”

In 1972 Al Green produced Let’s Stay Together with Let’s Stay Together

I Know A Little from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Street Survivors in 1977

Bluebird and Let Me Roll It– Paul McCartney and Wings 1973 Band on the Run album

My Love and With a Little Luck from Wing’s Greatest Hits released December 1, 1978