Life flows like a stream rushing and cutting down a mountainside and through a valley, its path seemingly pre-ordained but, in reality, routinely diverted by manmade and natural obstacles, dams and debris. The water takes the path of least resistance, forever jutting one way only to jut another, powered by gravity and the melting snowpack atop the mountain.
Samantha Sang’s “Emotion,” a song I likely haven’t heard since 1978, blasted from my trusty THX-certified Logitech computer speakers moments ago, followed by the catchy “Then Came You” by Dionne Warwick and the Spinners. Olivia Newton-John’s “Make a Move on Me,” which hit No. 5 on the pop charts in 1982, was next up. Phoebe Snow’s “Poetry Man,” Dave Mason’s “We Just Disagree” and Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good” roll on in this particular stream, followed by Terrence Trent D’Arby’s “Wishing Well.”
It’s not Pandora, but KDRI, aka The Drive, which is a new independent radio station in Tucson. For those in the Arizona city, it can be listened to via 830 AM or 101.7 FM; for the rest of us, it can be streamed at its website, https://thedrivetucson.com. Geared to older Gen Xers and younger baby boomers (aka ages 45 to 64), the playlist features songs from the late ‘60s through the mid-‘90s. I tuned in a few hours back, and have yet to tune out – which says something.
“Ride Captain Ride” by Blues Image, a No. 4 hit in 1970, followed Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do,” a No. 2 smash from 1994, with Smokey Robinson’s 1987 hit “Just to See Her” closing the unlikely block. And then? Jackson Browne’s “Doctor My Eyes” from 1972. It’s a mishmash of songs that have contributed to the soundtracks of many lives, in other words, whether we first heard them when they hit the charts, via the oldies stations of our youths, or our own turntables. The ‘80s were represented this morning, too, with Thompson Twins “Lay Your Hands on Me” followed by the only Cars song I like, “Drive.”
At the macro level, one thing I like best about oldies stations is that they replicate, to a degree, the Top 40 stations of yore, when genre was an afterthought. Pop, rock, R&B and disco, even country, blasted from the speakers simply because the song was a Hot Hit. At the micro level, one of the things I like about KDRI is that many of the songs aren’t the normal nostalgia fodder. (10cc’s “Dreadlock Holiday”?!) If you’re of a certain vintage, and stuck at a desk during your workday, the KDRI experience is a good alternative to the same-old, same-old.
1) Samantha Song – “Emotion.” Written by Barry and Robin Gibb, and featuring Barry on backing vocals, this Bee Gees-like tune reached No. 3 on the pop charts in 1978. It was later covered by the Bee Gees and Destiny’s Child.
2) Dionne Warwick and the Spinners – “Then Came You.” Here’s some trivia: Despite her many classic sides in the ’60s, this 1974 collaboration with the Spinners was Dionne Warwick’s first No. 1 pop hit.
3) Phoebe Snow – “Poetry Man.” Released in late 1974, the debut single from singer-songwriter Snow would peak at No. 5 on the pop charts in 1975 (and hit No. 1 on the adult contemporary charts).
4) “All I Wanna Do” – Sheryl Crow. From Crow’s 1993 Tuesday Night Music Club debut album, “All I Wanna Do” was released as a single in April and went on to hit No. 2 – and nab Record of the Year honors at the 1995 Grammy Awards.
5) Marmalade – “Reflections of My Life.” The Glasgow band eked into the U.S. Top 10 in 1970 with this introspective tune, their only Top 40 success across the pond. They enjoyed more success in the U.K., where the song hit No. 3. (They also topped the U.K. charts with a cover of the Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” in 1968 and scored a few additional Top 10 hits.)
The Old Grey Cat 