I was a pretty young guy in the early ‘70s, but like most kids in those days, I had a transistor radio and the choice of two – count ‘em, two – radio stations that played the latest in rock & roll tunes.
Rock & roll, mind you, covers a lot of ground. It ranges from rambunctious to weepy, from angry to epic to romantic. But the early ‘70s had some fun, lighthearted tunes by bands that just seemed to be having a lot of fun making music and entertaining us.
So, this week, let’s look at five great fun songs from the early ‘70s.
Dr. Hook And The Medicine Show: Freakin’ At the Freaker’s Ball. This tune is perfectly ridiculous, describing the kind of weekend that wasn’t all that unusual for some of us who came to age when I did. It’s also a song that probably couldn’t be made today, due to the tenor of some of the references, which were perfectly acceptable at the time but would raise some eyebrows now. But the song nevertheless has a message: No matter how weird you may be, you can still have fun and be accepted at the Freaker’s Ball.
The Guess Who: Clap For The Wolfman. Wolfman Jack, that famous SoCal disc jockey, gained national attention after appearing in George Lucas’s film “American Graffiti,” although some of us were already familiar with his trademarked beard and gravelly voice. But leave it to The Guess Who to not only produce a song celebrating the Wolfman but to bring in the man himself. And boy, did he ever hit that bad background narrative out of the park.Jim Stafford: Spiders & Snakes. Jim Stafford trod right atop the line between country and rock, but he had a lot of fans, in no small part of that. In fact, a few years later, this kind of music would be folded into what became known as “Southern rock,” although I don’t remember that description in use at the time. This tune was one of Jim Stafford’s most popular, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a fun tale of a guy working his way into a girl’s good graces – without spiders and snakes.See Related: Start Your Weekend Right With Four Great Southern Rock Bands
Dave Edmunds: I Hear You Knocking. Dave Edmunds wasn’t one of the best-known artists of the time, but his career started in the late ‘60s and had one number-one hit with “I Hear You Knocking.” Interestingly, after the early ‘80s, Edmunds semi-retired from music, scaling back his performances quite a bit.
See Related: Start Your Weekend Right With Five Great Rockers Taken From Us Too Soon
Loggins & Messina: Your Mama Don’t Dance. This is the pre-Caddyshack Kenny Loggins and the post-Poco Jim Messina, and they made a damn good combination. This tune is not only a toe-tapper but also a neat, humorous look at the famous “Generation Gap” that everyone was talking about at the time. Of course, some people's mamas did dance, and I'd bet even in those long-lost days, some daddies did rock & roll - although, I admit, mine wasn't among them.All of these songs take an old Boomer like me back a long way. Sitting in my loft bedroom at the top of the house with my battery-powered transistor radio, or careering around Allamakee County in an old Ford, kicking up dust with the windows down and the radio up all the way, all these tunes were part of the landscape. And they’re a good start on a classic rock playlist, in addition to being a great way to start a weekend.
Were you around in the early ‘70s? Have you any additions to the list? The comments, as always, are yours!
