CAT'S IN THE CRADLE by HARRY CHAPIN

Harry Chapin was the master of musical storytelling.Famous for W*O*L*D, the story of a travelling US morning DJ, in fact Chapin’s only Billboard no.1 was the “Cat’s in the Cradle"

"Cat's in the Cradle" is narrated by a man who becomes a father in the first verse. He is repeatedly too busy with his work to spend time with his son, despite his son looking up to him and promising he will grow up to be just like him. When the son graduates from college, he declines his father's offer to relax with him and instead asks for the car keys. In the final verse, the now-retired father calls his adult son and asks to spend some time together, but the son is now too busy with his own work and family, to spend time with his dad, and the father realises his son has indeed grown up to be just like him.

The song's lyrics began as a poem written by Chapin's wife, Sandra "Sandy" Gaston; the poem itself was inspired by the awkward relationship between her first husband, James Cashmore, and his father.

Harry also said the song was about his own relationship with his son, Josh, admitting, "Frankly, this song scares me to death”

WISHING YOU WERE HERE by CHICAGO

"Wishing You Were Here" is a song written by Peter Cetera for the group Chicago and recorded for their album Chicago VII (1974). 

Strangely for the recording, bassist Cetera and lead guitarist Terry Kath swapped roles while Kath also took the lead vocal when Cetera conceded it was too low for him to manage. 

The Beach Boys' Alan Jardine, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson guested as backing vocalists, leading to both bands touring together and performing the song a year later in what was billed as the Beachago tour. 15 years on, during the 2nd Beachago tour, the song was featured again, this time with BB Mike Love taking lead vocal (as Terry Kath had then died).

In subsequent years Chicago have toured America alongside other such notifiable acts as REO Speedwagon and Earth, Wind and Fire.

GOOD YEAR FOR THE ROSES by ELVIS COSTELLO

About 40 years ago I ran a newsagents shop in Chiswick, West London. We had a few famous customers who lived locally to the shop, one being Elvis Costello.

We used to deliver newspapers to his house every morning and upon receipt of an invoice, he was always very prompt in visiting the shop to pay the bill.

One day he walked into the shop and came up to the counter where he was served by a lady named Joyce who worked part-time afternoons. While taking his cheque she mentioned to him that she really liked his new song that was being played on the radio at the time, “Good Year for the Roses”. He thanked her very much and, as he usually did, left the shop in a hurry.

Next morning, before 7am, he walked into the shop with a large box in his hand which he left on the counter, asking that it be given to Joyce when next she was at work. She came in that afternoon and opened the box to find countless amounts of promotional materials including T-shirts, posters, records etc. 

Elvis had a new no.1 fan!

WHY CAN'T WE LIVE TOGETHER? by TIMMY THOMAS

One hit wonder Timmy Thomas wrote the song after he moved to Miami and heard the news on the radio reporting on the number of deaths in the Vietnam war. 

He once said in an interview: “WHAT?! You mean that many mothers’ children died today? In a war that we can’t come to the table and sit down and talk about this, without so many families losing their loved ones?” I said, “Why can’t we live together?” Bing! That light went off. And I started writing it there and then.

The song from 1972, notable for being recorded in mono, reached no.6 in the States and no.12 here. 

Timmy died of cancer on March 11, 2022, at the age of 77.

ROSE OF CIMARRON by POCO

Many folk of my age (and possibly a little older) will consider Poco's "Rose of Cimarron" as one of the greatest tracks of all. Very much country orientated it was not released as a single (as far as I know), just being an album track, but was constantly played on the radio and everyone I knew had a copy of the album.

Poco are considered one of the founders of the Southern California country rock sound, and three of the members of the band have been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as members of other bands (Richie Furay with Buffalo Springfield, Randy Meisner and Timothy B Schmit with the Eagles).

Rose of Cimarron was the name given to Rose Dunn,  a woman who took in outlaws in the late 1800s. She fed them, mended their wounds and sent them on their way. Or so they say.......

Rose Dunn

Rose lived to the grand age of 76, passing away in 1955.

POP MUZIK by M

Pop Musik was a 1979 hit by M which in turn was a supposed project from English musician Robin Scott.

Scott said, I was looking to make a fusion of various styles which somehow would summarise the last 25 years of pop music. It was a deliberate point I was trying to make. Whereas rock and roll had created a generation gap, disco was bringing people together on an enormous scale. That's why I really wanted to make a simple, bland statement, which was, 'All we're talking about basically (is) pop music.

The UK 12-inch single version was notable for the A-side having a double groove so that the two tracks ("Pop Muzik" and "M Factor") both started at the outer edge of the record and finished in the middle (with a long silence at the end of "M Factor" since the track was the shorter of the two). This resulted in a random selection of the two tracks, depending on which groove the needle landed in the lead-in.

Pop Muzik was a big hit, only being kept off the top slot in the UK charts by Art Garfunkel and his rabbit anthem (“Bright Eyes” from Watership Down).

I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World) by Donald Fagan

Donald Fagan, keyboard player and a mainstay of rock/jazz funk band Steely Dan, released his first solo album a year after they split in 1982.  I.G.Y. opened the album and was the first single to be taken from it

The "I.G.Y." of the title refers to the "International Geophysical Year", an event that ran from July 1957 to December 1958.  The I.G.Y. was an international scientific project promoting collaboration among the world's scientists. 

Fagen's lyrics discuss the widespread optimistic vision of the future at that time, including futuristic concepts such as solar-powered cities, a transatlantic tunnel, permanent space stations, and spandex jackets!

It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1983, losing to "Always on My Mind".

It has been covered by British musician Howard Jones and American a cappella group Take 6, who modified the lyrics to recast the song with a gospel message.

 

The Howard Jones cover version