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).

WINDY WEDNESDAY

Listen to WINDY WEDNESDAY by Gordon Alexander.

It's a problem with music blogs (with reading them, and with writing them, to be perfectly frank), that every entry is like, "this is the greatestthingyou MUST LISTEN TO IT." So, one tries to be evenhanded in one's praise, and be honest about what you like and you don't, but it comes down to this: a blogger isn't going to waste all the time it takes to pick a song, upload the song, code the blog, write the post, and so on, if she's going to end up saying "here's a song I'm sharing with you I don't like it very much." What's the point?

Well, today, here's a song I'm sharing with you I don't like it very much. Some of you have picked up a theme to this week's posts, and that's why it's here. It's too bad, because I had high hopes for the album from which it's taken. It was produced by Curt Boettcher, late of The Association and The Millenium (which, thanks to John, I have been listening to nonstop for months). But, well, listen to the song for yourself. To me, it's an apparently unwitting parody of West Coast 60s psychedelia. Another title on the album, A Bunch of Us Were Sitting Around a Candle in San Francisco Getting Stoned and I Hope You're There Next Time, basically sums up how daft it is--the title isn't ironic, isn't a trippy sound collage or anything, it's a song about how a bunch of us were sitting around a candle in San Francisco getting stoned and how I hope you're there next time. Oh yes.

If it's any consolation, for once I'll rep today's photograph. I think it's the greatest thing you must look at it!

Photo: Manhattan towers (3).

RIDING HIGH ON A WINDY DAY

Listen to RIDING HIGH ON A WINDY DAY by The Paragons.

Well, Usain Bolt is the new Jamaica, but I'm still a fan of the old Jamaica. We've had the Paragons on before, and it frustrates me that, if I hadn't given it a quick read, I would have typed more or less the same entry. Basically, I think it's just too bad that more Jamaican music has never been in the mix on classic rock radio, so it would be generally well known and accepted. Get to know this great music, people!

Riding High was a hit for the Paragons, not their biggest, but high quality. The concept for the song and the recording are crystal clear--it has a clarity of purpose, if you will. Good melody, good performance, good production.

Photo: Manhattan Towers (2).

(LOVE LIVES ON A) WINDY HILL

Listen to (LOVE LIVES ON A) WINDY HILL by The Futures.

I'm trying to come up with a song, as a basis for comparison, that is as calm, as placid, as this song by The Futures. Well, since a song-based metaphor is failing me, let's try something different. I listened to this one about six times in a row, and it was like having a soft fan blowing gentle pulses of air over you. If you've ever had trouble sleeping, and been up an hour or two, it was like that moment right before it happens when you realize that you're finally falling asleep after all that. Relief and bliss.

(Love Lives On A) Windy Hill is from 1975:

The first LP issued by The Futures -- a fine Philly vocal quintet who'd recorded a number of singles earlier in the 70s, but who finally cracked the LP racks with this 1975 release! The group's got harmony chops that are plenty strong -- with an ability to hit both a sweet soul sound and a deeper righteous groove that was being used by some of the funkier groups at the time.

Photo: Manhattan towers (1).