Welcome to the first of my blogs about songs of the ’70s and the memories those songs evoke!
In the summer of 1974, British singer / songwriter John Carter and his wife, Gillian (Jill) Shakespeare, wrote the song “Beach Baby”. Carter immediately created a studio band, enlisting musicians Tony Burrows and Chas Mills, to record the song for Jonathan King’s UK Records record label under the name The First Class. It was the one and only song the group ever charted, reaching No. 4 on the American Billboard charts. Unfortunately, the group was never able to replicate their success with Beach Baby, putting them into that infamous category of “one hit wonders”.
Summer of 1974 was the interlude between my freshman and sophomore years in high school. I remember first hearing this song one summer evening on the radio mom kept in the kitchen and it immediately caught my attention. I think what initially attracted me was its breezy, infectious melody and Beach Boys like harmonies. The song seemed to represent what summer was, at least ideally, all about. Days spent at the beach, nights with an attractive girl, carefree, fun, particularly for a 15 year old boy about to become a high school sophomore!
Of course, this idyllic version of summer didn’t really represent my reality! Summer on the farm, while it had it’s good times, was also a lot of work. Making hay, milking cows, and general farm maintenance took up a fair amount of one’s time. However, at least a couple of times during that summer we made the 10 minute trip from the farm to Blackhawk Lake located between the towns of Cobb and Highland. The park was still relatively new then having been created in 1972. In addition, my Uncle Bill was managing the park at this time which gave me the feeling of being something of a VIP! It became a favorite summer location for my family and friends throughout the ’70s. While far from the beaches of Southern California, it was the closest I would come during my teenage years!
I think the reason this song has stuck with me all of these years is that it’s light, breezy melody is offset by its somewhat wistful lyrics. They represent an adult’s longing to recapture the fun, excitement, and perhaps the simplicity of his teenage years. Together, the melody and the lyrics perfectly complement each other resulting in a memorable pop song!
And, it still makes me smile!
I’ve attached a You Tube version of the song for your enjoyment.
As always, your feedback is appreciated!
I have to be careful with this song because it has this quality to stick to your head and you keep humming it when you don’t want to!
I needed to check the version with the lyric (above) so I could understand the “wistful” quality of the song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEx4edCAFzc
Oddly enough Brad is often surprised how the Caribbean lyrics (especially salsa) can have a dramatic even sad content with such of cheerful bit and of course the mandatory dance that salsa invites.
Brad – Enjoyed your latest entry on “Songs of the 70’s”. Being a few years your senior I am not an expert on the music of the 70’s but would agree that music does have a major influence on what we remember. I especially liked your descriptions of summer on the farm and at Blackhawk Lake. Hope all is well in your life and even though you are living in Gopher country I must say Go Bucky!!
Thanks Keith! And don’t worry, I’m still a Badger fan. Go Bucky!!