Part Two – 1970s

We kick off with a very successful band from the sixties, The Kinks. This song was way ahead of its time and was released in June 1970, just one month before I got married. I hasten to add there is no connection between the two events!

Another Geordie band up next called Lindisfarne. It's worth checking out their anthemic song Run for Home, but this earlier recording just pips it.

Arguably, Gilbert O'Sullivan's best song was his quite original, quirky debut Nothing Rhymed (worth a listen). This next one got to number 1 and featured on the ever-present TV programme Top of the Pops, which was required viewing ostensibly for the music, but actually by young males to watch the dance troupe Pan's People. Shocking behaviour! In this video, I prefer the blonde (dog that is).

Besides the music, the seventies produced some excellent TV sitcoms like Fawlty Towers. Another such was Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads. The sixties show—The Likely Lads—featured two working-class friends in the North East. The seventies version showed one had stayed in the same culture, whilst the other aspired to a middle-class lifestyle.

This next short track is the chorus of the theme song and is unbearably nostalgic. It still gets to me 50 years later.

"Oh, what happened to you, whatever happened to me, what became of the people we used to be?
Tomorrow's almost over, today went by so fast, it's the only thing to look forward to, the past."

Time now for my favourite Christmas song. No, it's not Fairytale of New York (Alix will be pleased!), but yes, you've guessed it—The Wombles. Maybe it's that sax!

I grew up (well, some may say I never have) in a culture where boys were not expected to cry, so I complied. Probably not till I was in my sixties that I could allow tears to flow easily. This next wondrous song is the first that I remember crying to and still do.

It's not that it's overly sad, but it's the daughter's love for and gratitude towards her mother. One of my favourites!

The Beatles disbanded somewhat acrimoniously in 1970, and its members pursued solo musical careers, none more successfully than George Harrison. He had developed an intense interest in Hinduism and allied himself to the Hare Krishna movement.

He wrote quite a few songs expressing his religious yearnings, his first being My Sweet Lord, which reached number 1. I liked them all but particularly this next track, Life Itself.

The seventies in the States saw an upsurge in male singer-songwriters, of whom you will hear five. The first is the magnificent Billy Joel, who could sing and compose both ballads and uptempo tunes with equal aplomb. I could have chosen many but went for this one.

This next one was constantly on my record player. The singer is greatly admired by Dave Grohl of The Foo Fighters, who named another of his songs, Never Let Her Slip Away, as perfection. I still prefer this one. What passion!

I love songs which tell a story, which may partially explain my later liking for country and folk music. This poignant little gem tells the story of a relationship, start to finish, in just four minutes. I probably identified with the singer's self-deprecating view!

James Taylor has been a mainstay of my listening experience over five decades with his smooth vocals and well-crafted songs. He was discovered in 1968 by the Beatles, who signed him to their record label. The rest is history.

Despite alcoholism and drug addiction, he made it through and sounds very much like he did as a young man. Sweet Baby James is a song he wrote for his newborn nephew, who was named after him. Still my favourite song of his.

Another goody from Mr Taylor from the same concert in a beautiful old theatre in Massachusetts. Sadly, I never did get to a live performance. Wish I could have been at this one! The only consolation is I do have the whole concert on DVD.

You will recall my very first track, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, was voted by the American Recording Association as the best song of the twentieth century. Number 5 on that same poll was American Pie, written and sung by Don McLean. He is eight months older than me and, like me, has been a huge fan of Buddy Holly. The death of his musical hero was one of the inspirations for the song, which contains some of my favourite lyrics, e.g.,

"And the three men I admire the most, the father, son, and holy ghost, they caught the last train to the coast the day the music died."

After all that, I am not including it, partly as it's 8½ minutes long, and there are two other tracks I prefer, but you should check it out if you have not heard it.

Now, have you ever wanted to poke someone in the eye with a knitting needle? No? Just me then. Knitting whilst listening to this next song, live, is just sacrilege (watch the video). This is a beautiful song about Vincent van Gogh. So, so moving.

Another song from the 1972 album American Pie was this next track beloved by my first wife. What do you mean there's only been one wife? There's still time for no. 2. Don't be so ageist!

Anyway, it's fair to say that she introduced me to many singers who I came to enjoy. None more so than McLean on this track. The lyrics are simply wondrous.

One such was Judy Collins, herself a songwriter. I had the pleasure of seeing Ms Collins live in London with my first wife. She had this pure, silky voice (Judy, that is) that I could, and did, listen to for hours. Here's a live version in 1974 of Joni's Both Sides Now. Fast forward to four minutes for this song, which has some delicious harmonica playing.

Judy Collins was a close friend of Leonard Cohen. Early on, she had, on at least one occasion, to force him onto the stage as he suffered from stage fright. Here, Judy sings a classic Cohen song. Silkiness personified.

No Hallelujah, I'm afraid. My favourite version is by Rufus Wainwright.

Another female coming up, but not just any singer—the one who became my favourite singer for the rest of my life. Not pure and silky but raw and bluesy right from the start in the early seventies. She made so many great tracks from this decade, but I'm going to go with this one, which shows what she was all about. I present Ms Bonnie Raitt.

As you will see and hear, this decade produced some very fine rock bands with a high degree of musical skill. Here's one such, Steely Dan.

This next lady was dubbed the Empress of Soul only because the title of Queen of Soul was already taken by Aretha Franklin. No disrespect to Aretha, who was indeed one of the greats, but I just thought Empress, Gladys Knight, was better.

Not only her voice, but I thought she was easy on the eye. Why God did not see fit to bring Glad and me together, I will never know. A design flaw surely?

I am rounding this off with two groups who were popular at the time. My namesake, Lionel Richie, was lead singer for the Commodores. Particularly liked this track.

And lastly, Doctor Hook. Great voice and unambiguous lyrics!

This could well be the finest episode so far, but don't hold me to that. After the Beatles' breakup in 1970, I was looking for the next best thing. I didn't have long to wait, as the very next year a new band was formed and went on to be my favourite band of all time due to great vocals and fine guitar work. I haven't found space for another classy singer-songwriter, Jackson Browne, but this song is one of his and is, of course, performed by The Eagles.

This next track vies for being the best rock song of all time. There's stiff competition, but what with great lyrics and a guitar duet to die for at the end, it's a hot contender.

One of the Beatles' protégés (and a former mentee of Ray Charles) is a singer/keyboard player called Billy Preston, who wrote and sang this track with great verve. Never get tired of it or the guitar licks provided by Eric Clapton.

Guess I would have to choose the electric guitar as my favourite instrument. No disrespect to the sax, piano, violin, accordion or cornet though. Southern rock, brewed in the American South, gave birth to amazing guitarists and rock bands. My favourite was Lynyrd Skynyrd. Call Me the Breeze is a masterpiece, as is this one, Sweet Home Alabama. Should also mention the live version of Free Bird, one of the finest examples of rock guitar on the planet. Can't play them all though. Exciting stuff!

Let's stick with more rock, and another artist to contend with is Bob Seger. Old Time Rock 'n' Roll is a great track, but I'm going for my favourite song on the theme of prostitution (or rather, about the johns). Yet another song that has to be played constantly and at ear-bleeding levels.

So Seger could write rock songs till the cows came home but also wrote the next, quite different, song—here sung by Scottish lass Sheena Easton and country legend Kenny Rogers. (Sorry, no space for Kenny's duet with Dolly Parton, Islands in the Stream, but worth a listen.)

Last one is from Captain & Tennille—You Never Done It Like That. Not sure what the It stands for. I suspect it could be about a friend's developing skills in stacking the dishwasher, but I could be wrong about that. Another equally fine but more sultry track is Do That to Me One More Time. Now that one's a complete mystery!

Last one of the seventies, and this one's more pop-oriented. It took me a while to appreciate the creative talents of the worldwide phenomenon known as ABBA. Their later offerings were my preference. In 1979, this next track was released as an album track and has a somewhat melancholic feel—which is as it should be, as the lyrics are quite bleak. The couple on the right (as you look at it) in the video had already split, whilst the other two would soon go their separate ways, which makes the video extra poignant.

Another huge pop group of the time were the Bee Gees. This is just a short snippet of the only disco song I liked. The young guys in the video are smart movers.

My favourite Bee Gees song is coming right up.

The Bee Gees, like ABBA, were no mean songwriters. This one, which was covered by Diana Ross, is really catchy, and the video is fun.

Not quite sure why this track is here, except I loved the chorus back in the seventies along with the guitar ending—and still do.

I confess I cannot dance, though I can reveal in this worldwide exclusive that I have, in private, tried—with songs like Irene Cara’s What a Feeling, Joe Cocker’s Delta Lady, and anything by the Stones. But the only thing that can get me on the dance floor in public is this wondrous creation by Dexy's Midnight Runners. Dedicated to all the Eileens out there!

Time to get back to the serious stuff now. I can and do enjoy most musical instruments, but I do find the electric guitar a little bit special. Do I have a favourite guitarist? You bet—and he's coming up next. In the late seventies, he formed a band called Dire Straits. This track was probably the first that I had heard of them. It's live, it's amazing, plus the drumming is just awesome!!!

The reason I love Mark Knopfler is that, besides being technically proficient, he has a very identifiable sound, which is like a musical liquid honey. This track is right up there as a contender for my favourite rock track. I love the original version, but with this live laid-back performance, the guitar is languid yet front and centre. My daughters treated me to attend one of his concerts at the Albert Hall. Phenomenal!