Taking a cue from Metallica's 72 Seasons, I revisited my early teen years when I was getting into music. There were some truly amazing, unforgettable songs that made the time so special.
Most likely I will come back this time period for future Mixlists as there are so many terrific songs from this moment.
This was a time before MTV and the internet. Friends, the radio, and TV shows that had musical guests like Saturday Night Live, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Solid Gold, Fridays and Night Flight were the places to hear new music. You could read about your favorite bands from magazines like Cream, Circus, Guitar for the Practicing Musician, etc.
Also, on the weekend nights, I could get shows from London like the Kenny Everett Video Show and Top of the Pops from some of the local UHF channels. Ah, the days before cable and streaming. The shows would run from around 11pm to 2am. London seemed so far away and exotic. Plus, it was a major cultural influence at the time with New Wave, New Romantics, and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal emerging.
Starting things off is Eddie Money's "Think I'm in Love." When I was old enough to work, I could work with my dad over the summers at his school. He was a custodian, and we were part of the summer help that would clean up the school and get it ready for fall. It wasn't a fun job, but I got paid and could work with my dad over the summer. One of the saving graces that kept the job interesting while you were painting, cleaning desks, floors, and windows was the radio. One year, there was a new rock radio station in New York called WAPP. They had a promo where they had a commercial free summer. "Think I'm in Love" was in heavy rotation and I just love this song. I never would get bored with it. Another song on heavy rotation that summer on WAPP was John Waite's "Changes." It was a cover from the band Spyder and written by Holly Knight. John Waite's version rules! Spotify does not have the studio recording available, but this is a pretty decent version. Check out the studio version if you can. It is perfect!
I first saw Tom Petty on Saturday Night Live for his debut appearance. He performed Refugee off of his Damn the Torpedoes album. A lot of great songs on this record. Even the Losers was one of the many singles from Dam the Torpedoes and is one of my favorite songs of his. Another one of my favorite songs of this time is Judas Priest's Desert Plains. Just a fantastic song. I really dug Point of Entry, even though it is not a favorite amongst most Priest fans.
Entre Nous is a hidden gem off of Rush's Permanent Wave. It has a lot of heavyweights on that record to contend with, but still delivers. Joe Jackson's Is She Really Going Out with Him was a radio staple in 1979. Very cool bass riff and Joe's vocal execution are excellent.
The Clash's Train in Vain was plaid a lot on New York radio. The song is on the London Calling album. They omitted the song from the London Calling album on its initial release. I remember listening to WPLJ in New York. The DJ said it was very "punk" to not list the song. Hold the Line by Toto is a very cool mix of r&b, soul, and rock. Steve Lukather's guitar riff is what got me into this song.
Black Sabbath's Heaven & Hell is the first Black Sabbath record I ever bought. One of the best purchases of my life.
Finally, closing this month's Mixlist is The Police with Secret Journey off of Ghost in the Machine. This was another song on heavy rotation during WAPP's no commercial summer.
What were your favorite songs that got you into rock and metal when you were growing up? Let me know in the comment section below.
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