Monday, July 1, 2013

More Great Goosebumps Moments (2)

Keep 'em comin' folks!

I was in the kitchen listening to the radio when the DJ (Hy Lit, Philly, PA)  said he had a new record he wanted to play.  It was Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley.  WOW!  Now this was back in the day when DJs were allowed a lot of freedom and after it was over he said he loved it so much he was gonna play it again.  I couldn't believe how good it sounded. 
wfisch 

Kent,
"Goosebump" songs!  Are you kidding me? Many years ago ... and I do mean many years ago ... even before you ever thought of FH ... there were two songs that I always said gave me "goosebumps".  I don't really remember the first time I heard them on the radio, but to this day whenever I hear them, I get "goosebumps". 
The songs in question are:
1 The Flamingos' I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU and
2. Bill Purcell's OUR WINTER LOVE.
Can't really tell you why I get those "goosebumps" whenever I hear these on the radio, but I do.
I thought of something else while reading your post for today. How many songs can you think of that has the words goose and / or bump in the song title?
I can think of a few with one in particular that no one probably can even think of
Larry Neal
Several readers cited "I Only Have Eyes For You" as one of their goosebumps favorites ... and this song still has that same effect on quite a few of us today, even all these years later!  (kk)  

Kent:
The first time I heard The Eagles' "Take it to the Limit", I knew I had to buy it. 
Chris Astle
Newport News, VA. 


GOOSEBUMPS ?  My mind went to a 'newer' old song ...
I was out walking and a song was playing on the radio. 
MELISSA ETHRIDGE (who I don't really care for), UN-PLUGGED, with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN (not a music-god to me) ... dueting to a slower version of THUNDER ROAD ... BEE-YOO-TI-FUL!!!  Made me tear-up at first listen and still has that effect on me. Gary Renfield
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cXzFhZVMnQ

(YOU CAN SKIP THE 3 MINUTE TALKING INTRO)
 

I have had many 'goosebump' moments as well.  Here are the two that I can think of right away. 
The Fall of 1975 ... I was listening to the radio and in between slow ballads and early disco, I heard the opening drum riff of Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen.  It stood out like nothing else on the radio.  The song captured the restless feeling of youth.  Fast forward to the Summer of 1981.  By this point I only listened to mix tapes of old 60's and 70's  songs in my '75 Ford Maverick.  I flicked on a Top 40 station and heard the Greg Kihn Band doing The Breakup Song (They Don't Write Em Like That Anymore). I felt like the song captured what I was feeling ... maybe the best music and the best relationships were behind me.  The song also reminded me of The Messengers 1971 song "That's The Way A Woman Is" which got a lot of airplay here in Wisconsin.  
Thanks for the 'goosebump' idea.  It sounds like another Forgotten Hits home run!  
Phil - WRCO  

Hi Kent, I've been listening to r&r for almost 60 years and have had dozens of goosebump moments (at least up to 1990). The two that come to mind first were "Lonely Days" by the Bee Gees and "The Story in Your Eyes" by the Moody Blues. 
Dube  

The year was 1968 and I was stationed at Ft. Ord. CA.  A fellow GI buddy kept playing two LP’s in particular and telling us about his song writer friend Jimmy Webb. I think he said they went to college together or just took some classes together in So. Cal. The two albums were both by Johnny Rivers, Rewind (67) & Realization (68).  At the time, I’m sure I never heard the term blue eyed soul but that was Johnny Rivers at his best. 
Rewind  mostly consisted of ballads and the majority of the songs were written by Jimmy Webb.  Realization was a combination of many of the folk type song writers of the day to include Johnny Rivers  own penned songs. The Realization songs really worked at getting in your head while Rewind was definitely a more mellow listening experience. 
The first six months of 1968 stands out as the most rapidly eventful period  of my entire life. First, getting drafted and leaving home, secondly the assassinations  of both Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.  Third, finding the body of a dead GI laying in a Ft Polk LA training area. Last but not least (or was it) was the infamous  “Dear John” letter.  None the less, this was all devastating for a young 18 year kid alone and out on his own for the first time in his life.   Like stated earlier this was just the first six months of 1968. Just when I thought the second six months 1968 couldn’t throw anymore dirt my way I received deployment orders for Viet Nam in Nov. 68.  My reporting date to Oakland Army Depot was 23 Dec. 68. My very first Goosebumps Track would have to be off the Johnny Rivers Rewind album “It’ll Never Happen Again” by Tim Hardin. The Tim Hardin song could also be called my “Killing Me Softly” song.  Like your  “California Dreamin”  Kent, this was also a Lou Alder produced album. Combine Johnny Rivers' gut wrenching delivery,with Tim Hardin words, Lou  Alder production and all these fantastic studio musician.  I had the whole Goosebumps,neck hair, lump in the throat thing going on all at once. 
My second Goosebumps track  is “Caroline No” from the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album. This is another song that is related to my 45 year old Dear John letter.   Brian Wilson got me this  time.  How could the Beach Boys sing as if they knew me?  I had read a while back that  “Caroline No “ was in fact written about a girl named Carol. Brian had to  change it to Caroline to divert his then wife Marilyn. 
There were many first time heard Goosebumps Tunes I’m sure but these two will still to this day do a number on me.  
“Goosebumps Tracks”, good idea Kent. 
Jerry  
Sometimes it's a late discovery that grabs you.  When I was working on my Dusty Springfield series a few years back, I studied her catalog and came across Dusty's version of "I Don't Want To Hear It Anymore", an early Randy Newman song that I was previously unfamiliar with.  It just ripped through my heart and caused another one of those "goosebumps" moments. 
A similar track was "If I Could Reach You" by The Fifth Dimension ... to this day, I consider it to be one of Marilyn McCoo's greatest performances (right up there with "One Less Bell To Answer" ... yet nowhere near as big a hit.) 
Another one was Michael Jackson's reading of "She's Out Of My Life" which, to this very day, causes me to tear up and swallow hard each and every time I hear it.    (kk) 

And apparently I'm not the only one.  Read on ...  

Hey Kent,
I remember when my mother was driving me to my music lessons one Saturday afternoon. On the car radio I heard, for the first time, Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual". I looked at Mom and asked her, "Who is this guy with that HUGE baritone voice?" Now THAT gave me goosebumps. 

Another was Michael Jackson's "She's Out of My Life". The string intro to that song still gives me goosebumps and tears my heart out at the same time. I know you only wanted two, but I have to add "Sailing", by Christopher Cross. What a wonderful recording!
I am just as big a fan of Bread as you are. In my opinion, David Gates was the most romantic pop composer of the 70s. His second solo album, "Never Let Her Go" gives me goosebumps all the way through.
- John LaPuzza