Music - My Early Days (WE84)

Music (was my first love)

To live without my music
Would be impossible to do.
In this world of troubles,
My music pulls me through.

_{source: My memory}

Not my own words but they could well be. These are the beginning words of the 1976 hit by John Miles called 'Music' and I heard it - probably - 1976. It is my earliest actual, conscious memory of a song.

I heard it when my brother played it on his reel to reel, not a cassette!! And then, of course, on the radio, and in the car lounging on the backseat while my big brother was driving.

I love(d) that song

Very simple lyrics that let the music speak. It spoke to my soul, back then as a ten-year-old and it still speaks to me today. It is going through the different tempi, is melodic, has rock elements, and - an orchestra! So when I play it...

I play it loud!

Really, really loud. If you ever listened to it you will know why - the orchestra! At the time we were starting to see a lot more electronic music yet here we had a real, BIG orchestra playing strings and stuff.

C'est magnifique!

This here is a 2001 live version with said orchestra

But - I'll admit the song is also a little cheesy. Come on what do you expect - it was the 70s after all. Here's a link to an original 1976 recording with John Miles's 25 years younger voice. I am not playing it often, 'cause hubby doesn't like it too much, if at all.

Okay, I'll come off of that cloud now, but it really is a great song and looking through the videos brought the memories right back.

Let's stay in the 70s for another one. Around the same time started my love for

ELO (the Electric Light Orchestra)

What a band! formed around Jeff Lynne who was awarded the OBE Order of the British Empire in 2020. Did you know that he also wrote songs for The Beatles? ELO were extremely diverse and well ahead of their time. Have a listen to 'Roll over Beethoven'. Not my favorite song, by far, if at all, but it gives you an impression.

I got to know them in Junior High (in German: Unterstufe Gymnasium) through my classmates and soon enough was drawing ELO's logo all over my papers and books - LOL. Today I am still listening and singing along to their songs while cooking and dancing in the kitchen. They are definitely one of my good-mood-go-tos. These here are two of their earliest hits:

Strange Magic @ 0:00 & Living Thing @ 3:50 recorded live in 2010

_{you can also find 1977 and 1978 versions of it but the quality is meh - funny looking stage clothes though}

Being as old as I am I could take you through the next decades as well but this post is already long enough as it is.

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into my music, mind you it is only one of many quite diverse music styles in my playlists.

Cheers,
(Ocean)Bee

Here are a few musical pics of mine taken at the Rockefeller Treelightings 2012 - 2014

_{I'm sure you won't need me to name the performers}