The 70s: In the wink of a young girl's eye

Confession: I love infomercials. 

Well, most of them, specifically celebrity-related infomercials.

Old rock ones. “Tonight Show” retrospectives. Classic country ones. Soft rock ones. Doo-wop collections. “Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts.” Gospel music collection infomercials. If they did a compendium of Lawrence Welk highlights, I am sure I could find a reason to watch.

Some of this is nostalgia. Some of this is because I like the music or the jokes or the celebrities. Some because I want to see the old guitars being used. And some just because I want to revel in the fact that actual footage exists of The Jaggerz. 

So, of course I would be fascinated by “Pop Goes the 70s,” co-hosted by Donny Osmond and some babe, which showcased tunes that were ostensibly the soundtrack to my high school years and beyond.

Now, very few of these songs were what the cool kids were listening to, but damn if nearly each tune didn’t transport me back – way back. For better or worse.

Look at some these tracks: 

Fly, Robin, Fly - Silver Connection

Sentimental Lady -  Bob Welch

Show And Tell - Al Wilson

Wild Flower - The New Birth

Delta Dawn - Helen Reddy

American Pie -Don McLean

Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim

Go All The Way - The Raspberries

Mr. Big Stuff - Jean Knight

Oh Babe, What Would You Say - Hurricane Smith

Hooked On A Feeling - Blue Swede

(You’re) Having My Baby - Paul Anka

Last Song - Edward Bear

And that’s just the first CD – there are 18 more.

On this particular volume, we find the very good (“Go All the Way”), a standard of the era (“American Pie”), the weirdly fascinating (“Oh, Babe, What Would You Say),” something awful (Fly Robin Fly”) and something indescribable (“Having My Baby”).

But all important – in their own bell-bottomed, leisure-suited, tie-dyed and relatively innocent (compared to today) way.

And also significant because I think it’s causing me to start to think more critically about the 70s – the good, the bad, the confusing, the strange. The indescribably heartbreaking.  This decade was crucial for me, maybe even more so than the 60s on a cultural level.

So I will spend the next few posts on touchstones of those 10 years.

For better or worse.