Facing facts, I like songs with telephone numbers on the wall. Beechwood 4-5789, Wilson Pickett's 634- 5789, and of course, the classic, "Jenny" by Tommy Tutone. Great for freestyle dancing -- especially for guys like myself, who can't really dance, but who can do some basic calisthenics.
Note to Adam: This is probably great for air guitar.
In the words of Mongo Santamaria (the man who brought Afro-Cuban Jazz into my life, and changed me forever), "Let's put a little beans and rice on it, eh, amigos?"
TIERRA - TOGETHER
The Intruders, an original soul group, did the original version of this song, "Together." It was not a tremendous hit (like "I'll Always Love My Mama," or "Cowboys and Girls"), but it had something romantic about it.
A Chicano group out of California, Tierra, poured life and a Latino lilt into their version of the song and made it one of the greatest breakthrough hits of the disco era. It is soft and delicate, yet the harmonies and definitive lyrics give it undeniable power. I remember hanging around (with a glass of Southern Comfort, which, as I recall, tasted like Aqua Velva aftershave) in one of the neighborhood nightclubs, feeling lost and lonely. I could not and still cannot dance.
The DJ cranked up the volume, the room was bathed in blue light with a cosmos of disco ball crystal stars swirling around the room, and this song came on. I absolutely needed to hold someone, to dance with someone. Shy as I was, the loving pulse of this song, performed by Tierra, brought out a passion and a courage in me that I had never before experienced. There was a young woman standing alone not to far from me, and I walked up alongside her (in my best platform shoes), and said (verbatim!) "Excuse me miss. I know we haven't been introduced, but I love this song. Would you please dance with me?"
I reached for her hand (she was a bit bewildered), she took it, and we pushed our way to the middle of the crowded dancefloor. That was one of the bravest moments of my life. I had finally won a victory over myself.
Enjoy this song by either clicking on the hyperlink below, or on the embedded video player, if it actually makes an appearance. Also, as an added bonus, I have added hyperlinks to two other original recorded versions of the song, both by Tierra...the first is the one I danced to on that fateful night, and the second is in Spanish - even more profoundly romantic. Si?
This Walter Egan song knocked me out. The sweet harmony of the angelic voices in the background. It received a great deal of airplay, but never enough. The song had a "glow" about it. It was somehow regal, yet sensitive. It made a simple, but bold statement about love.
The three voices in the chorus build up a beautiful cascading harmony. During the instrumental, with each wave, they add a voice (it starts out as a single riff, sung in unison, then breaks into two notes, then three...and each time, a slightly more complex lilt is added to the harmony, and it gets a touch louder). I remember thinking that it was somewhat like early autumn waves at Jones Beach.
Is one of those "girls" in the background a very young Stevie Nicks?
Don't be ashamed. It makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck, and makes your heart beat a bit faster. It's okay. Really. You can even forward it to a friend. No one has to know.
