Musical Nostalgia: Where Were You When Your Favorite Song Played?

Just like a best childhood friend, music memories will always be remembered.

As a young kid growing into a teenager in the Boston area, I became attached to certain songs whether great or truly awful music. I felt so attached to the melodies, rhythms, harmonies, lyrics and vocals that, to this, very day, I can associate the Boston and New England places I was at when the songs played.  I usually heard these songs on the older versions of WRKO, WMEX and WBZ, as well as WCOP 1150 AM, WEZE 1260 AM, and WVBF 105.7 FM (now WROR).


I think that part of this musical nostalgia and association simply comes from being introduced to music so early in life, and, thus, having that enthusiastic, fresh perspective outlook that could have well made some of these songs better than they really were -- but then again, maybe not.  If it sounded good, they played it on the radio way back in the day. It took very little effort to love so many of these songs, as the simplicity of the music entered the mind like the way sugar consumption instantly offers happiness to the taste buds.  Hmmm, maybe all those Skybars and Zarex fruit drinks played a role, too!

More importantly, these songs spurred emotions and personal memories. The connection to this music never went away. Since modern day radio in the Boston area plays virtually nothing from the past, I created a list on Spotify entitled "Soundtrack to Childhood." It's an amazing feeling hearing 16 hours of music from childhood and often I will experience goosebumps, a warm memory, and not afraid to say, a tear or two (for some reason "Day After Day' by Badfinger strikes an emotional response, perhaps having something to do with the melody). In my mind, I do think back to those places and times when the songs played and the connections becomes even stronger. The power of music is clearly undeniable!


Here are some of my musical nostalgia song associations...

"Nashville Cats" by the Lovin' Spoonful -- Silver Lake State Park in Hollis, N.H.

"In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry -- our backyard in Arlington, Mass., during a summer barbecue.

"Merry Christmas Darling" by The Carpenters -- just outside Eric Fuch's model train store in Boston on a cold winter night

"Don't Pull Your Love" by Hamilton Joe Frank and Reynolds -- Driving past Manchester, N.H., on the way to the White Mountains with our grandma and grandpa from Michigan Ave., in Lynn, Mass. My grandpa wasn't feeling well and it worried me.

"I Am, I Said" by Neil Diamond -- Museum of Science, Boston

"Can't Get it Out of My Head" by the Electric Light Orchestra -- Taking a mystery ride on Routes 9 and 20 to West Springfield after my dad bought a Mercury Marquis station wagon with the phony wood paneling. The new car smell created equally strong memories.

"Mother and Child Reunion" by Paul Simon -- Newport, R.I., near The Cliff Walk

"To Sir with Love" by Lulu -- Dale Pharmacy, Burlington, Mass.

"Peace of Mind" by Boston -- Heading to the Acropolis Greek restaurant in Cambridge.

"Mandy" by Barry Manilow -- Driving to Bates Farm ice cream stand in Carlisle (which is now Kimball Farm).

"She'd Rather be With Me" by The Turtles and "You're Just Too Good to be True" by Frankie Valli -- Almy's department store in Burlington, Mass.

"Let's Pretend" by The Raspberries -- Arlington Pet Shop in Arlington, Mass., in the heights.

"Superstition" by Stevie Wonder -- Tropic Isle Aquarium, Framingham, Mass.

"Black Betty" by Ram Jam -- Hall's Nostalgia baseball card shop, Arlington.

"Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins -- Marshalls clothing store in Bedford, Mass.

"Joanne" by Michael Nesmith -- Hyannis, Cape Cod day trip.

"Mr. Bojangles" by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" -- downtown Lexington, Mass.

"Take Me Home, Country Road" by John Denver -- Parmenter Elementary School music class, Arlington, Mass.

"Flirtin' with Disaster" by Molly Hatchet -- riding with a friend in his blue Ford Mustang in Winchester, Mass., heading toward a baseball card shop in Stoneham.

Just wondering, do you also associate an old song with a certain place or time?

Remembering Pediatrician Dr. Perry in Lexington MA

Dr. Mary Perry lived in a modest old gray-blue home near Lexington (MA) center in which she held her business as a pediatrician. The waiting area had toys and books all over the place and the small doctor's office -- it probably would have been a den in a residential home -- was made special by a warm and friendly doctor that totally dedicated her life to taking care of kids. If, in fact, we were too sick to make the trek from Arlington to Lexington, Dr. Perry would bring herself with little doctor's bag to our home -- even in the dead of a snowy winter -- and come upstairs to our bedroom to provide medical support.

What seems like a scene from the 19th century actually happened only 43 years ago-- you know, the time of watching Gilligan's Island on television, listening to the top 40 WRKO on the radio, playing a game of street hockey in the neighborhood (translated: getting fresh air), and almost always being respectful of our parents.

I know it seems like another place and time that a doctor would include a house visit as part of her practice, but quite fascinating considering this falls into a time of contemporary history, just a few generations ago.

While we have some amazing doctors out there today -- and tremendous advances in the field of medicine and emergency care, to name a few -- doesn't it seem incredible and wonderful that a doctor like Dr. Mary Perry would come to one's home as part of her medical practice? That personal touch is long-gone, but the specific memory is part of the fabric that made our childhoods special -- just another memorable facet of the neighborhood feeling of our communities where people came together to help each other out.

Did you have a childhood pediatrician like Mary Perry back in the day? Please feel free to share your story!

Bringing People Together during The Blizzard of 1978

Who remembers the Blizzard of 1978? This catastrophic, early February nor'easter  dumped record amounts of snow on us Bostonians, not to mention hurricane-like winds. I've heard a few times through the years that that this storm killed more than 100 people and injured over 4,500.

The tragic outcomes of the storm will always be etched in our sympathetic and empathetic New England hearts and souls.  Tragedy, however, also brings some positive aspects that we can learn from, and the Blizzard of 1978 was no exception. I remember best the way people came together to help each other out. There was goodwill everywhere -- we saw the news features on television covering this topic that centered on the help coming from church, state and community. We saw countless examples of unbounded selflessness in our own Arlington neighborhood. I think back fondly on having to walk everywhere and people stopping us to say "hello," and making sure everything was OK. It wasn't just a going-through-the-motions talk -- people really became closer and took a general interest in each other.  People shoveled and snowplowed for each other, knocked on neighbor's doors to make sure they were OK and keeping the elderly and disabled first in mind. I saw more people smiling in one week of adversity than a whole year of normal daily life. It was true testimony to the decency of the people in our country.

We had quite a few days off from school. It was a great time to sled, build a snow fort out front and watch a few more cartoons on television. The news coverage and political response was tremendous, too, as you will witness in the video above. As examples, Ted O'Brien's anchoring was stellar, former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis' genuine concern a political revelation (even though I wasn't a big fan of his governing, in general) and meteorologist Harvey Leonard was his usual excellent self -- and with so much more hair! Harvey, as many of you know, is the chief meteorologist on WCVB-TV, Channel 5.

I truly feel we can apply the goodwill of the Blizzard of 1978 to today's world where our nation has often become derailed on the most fundamental, most important aspects of life. As I have currently become nauseated by the lying, attacking and dirty tricks that impeded this recent presidential election -- and the overall divide of this great country -- I think back to times like the Blizzard of 1978 as a role model for people putting aside their differences for the love and concern of their fellow neighbor. Yes, our society was much less divided then but it wasn't exactly a "Leave it to Beaver" era, either, with a growing distrust of government and a "me decade" all too often favoring greed, narcissim and various excesses over "loving thy neighbor," and doing what was best for society.

It's ironic, isn't it, that such a monstrous storm brought about so much sunshine to our daily lives in the form of placing others before oneself.  Wouldn't it be nice if everyday was like that, but without storms of any kind?              

A Memorable Moment in Boston during the Christmas Season

The Boston Common Christmas lights shone, "Merry Christmas Darling" by The Carpenters played on the radio and the new car smell in our Mercury Marquis station wagon lingered. Life sure felt good while waiting in the car while my dad ran into Eric Fuch's model railroad store to pick up a few items.

My dad was an avid Lionel railroad collector and Fuch's served as the "model" toy train store in the area. Eric Fuch's eventually expanded into the suburbs, but it wasn't the same. We loved the thrill of driving into Boston and getting in the Christmas spirit.

Although waiting in the car might seem like an odd way to enjoy the Christmas season, sometimes moments like these inexplicably stick in one's mind. Do you have any "smaller" moments from childhood in Boston that never went away?