WINDY

Listen to WINDY by Ruthann Friedman.

"Wendy" has been a very popular girl's name for ages. Its derivation from Celtic languages (Gwendi, Gwendoline, Gwendolyn, etc) accounts for that, obviously. But then, what about the name "Windy" (with an "i"), and how come it appeared all of a sudden in 1967 as a moderately popular girl's name for fifteen years?

I think it's safe to say that the person most responsible for this phenomenon is Ruthann Friedman. Ms. Friedman grew up in the Bronx, and made her way (via Denver) to California as part of the great "Hippie Migration." Doing her thing out there, she fell in with some members of The Association, who ended up recording a song Friedman had written, and releasing it in 1967, where it hit the top of the charts. Yes, everyone knows it's Windy.

Anyway, in honor of Windys everywhere, here is Windy. As much as I love The Association (as discussed yesterday), I couldn't inflict their version on you. Much more interesting is to hear Friedman's own recording, which is available on the excellent "Hurried Life" compilation.

Photo: Manhattan Towers (4).