My theme is Musical Memories: The Memories that music brings rushing back.
AM Radio. For me it was KKAS 1300 in Silsbee on a beige radio just like this one. When I was 6 years old, on up to eleven, Mama would have it on in the den all day, except when the soap operas were on. The beautiful thing about a small town radio station was that different segments of the day were devoted to different types of music. As Mama cleaned, played with me, and cooked I heard everything from Frank Sinatra to Puff the Magic Dragon to Roger Miller.In those years, I can still smell the fresh mopped linoleum floors, the chocolate pie out of the oven. I can see my little Susie dog and remember playing Rummy with Mama. It reminds me how secure and loved I felt. I remember a plastic dress and go-go boots my sister Sarah gave me. Rich green St. Augustine grass and pecan trees. In those days the windows were always open in warm weather. Music drifted out of the house and frogs and crickets vocals drifted in. I'd lay outside in the grass and listen to the sounds drifting out.
They had a contest on that station where they'd play a sound and callers could call in to guess what it was. The first caller to guess correctly won. Once, after hearing the sound, I told Mama it sounded just like Susie's toenails when she walked across the linoleum floor. Mama thought about it a minute, and agreed with me. Then she phoned it in. We won! Two tickets to a Houston Astros Baseball game. Sad part was Daddy was on a shut down when game day rolled around, so we didn't get to go.
In my teens, this radio accompanied me and my friends outside while we coated ourselves in baby oil and toasted in the sun. "Oh where, oh where can my baby be?", This Diamond Ring, Gordon Lightfoot and many others touched our hearts and promised all the heartbreak and excitement that teen years could offer. The scent of baby oil, the gossip and giggles, the crushes all come flooding back. Casey Kasem's count down was king. I still remember an amazing number of his odd factoids about the songs and the artists.
Then I'm grown and married to my Pete. The old radio has been regulated to the garage. But many country tunes poured from it as we worked all night on a car together. Talked and laughed. Bonded and loved. I can smell the gasoline and oil. Hear the motor roar to life. See the muscles in his arms as he torques something down tight. We are young and free again. Able to conquer the world again.
Step back in time and enjoy some of the best of AM Gold.
Do you remember the days of AM Radio?
Did you listen to Casey Kasem's countdown?
What memories does AM Radio conjure up for you?
Did you listen to Casey Kasem's countdown?
What memories does AM Radio conjure up for you?
A sweet, nostalgic piece :-)
ReplyDeleteDo you still have that radio?
Yes, it's still in that garage. But we tried it a couple of years ago and it no longer works.
DeleteI loved reading about your AM memories. Yes, I did listen to Casey Kasem for many years. Later, in Los Angeles, it was Art Laboe, bu we still listened to Casey Kasem's countdown. If I put the radio on in the car, it's on AM. I've never enjoyed FM. Give me AM anytime.
ReplyDeleteOh, good Corina! Glad I could stir up some memories for you. I admit, I liked that way FM came in clearer, longer.
DeleteI remember listening to the radio when I was young, but it was FM, not AM - we used to listen to Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Radio1 in our school common room. :)
ReplyDeleteSophie
Sophie's Thoughts & Fumbles
FB3X
Wittegen Press
Now that is cool. Radio in school!
DeleteI remember my cousin sitting in a field at my aunt's farm with a transistor radio - it was hot and the signal wasn't the best, but it was music :). As Soph said above, I also remember listening to FM in our school common room.
ReplyDeleteTasha
Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
Oh, yeah, I had one of those too for a while. And getting the signal clear and strong was the whole problem with AM Radio.
DeleteI remember Mama listening to Stella Dallas. She made me go out side because it wasn't fit for a little girl to hear. Like this entry, brings back lots of memories.
ReplyDeleteGreat Paula! That's what I had hoped to do. Stir up others memories and share them together here.
DeleteLoved this post Barbara thank you and scrolled through the long list. I hit on Save the last Dance for me and wanted to play it but I think I need spotify ...
ReplyDeleteWe had AM radio in the good old days .
If you don't regularly use Spotify, you can create a free account in the web based version by using this link: http://open.spotify.com/user/1220192312/playlist/51ydiJink7owPEsdMxLRK2
DeleteGlad you enjoyed the entry!
Lovely post! :) Music and nostalgia go so well together!
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - The crazy thing about Hungarians...
Don't they! Thank you.
DeleteWhat a cool radio. I love looking at stuff like that. Those can be worth a lot of money to a collector.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we still have ours, though it doesn't work. Probably just a blown tube.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteDo I remember Casey Kasem? Yes I do. I was brought up with the radio. I remember dancing in my mother's bedroom to every song that I heard.
Very nice post. It brought back memories of my childhood.
Just dropping by from A to Z Blog Challenge 2015.
Shalom,
Patricia at Everything Must Change
Wonderful! So glad I could stir the memory pot for you.
DeleteThey just don't 'Sing Em' like that anymore. What a wonderful trip to BackInThe Day, Barbara. Even if I hadn't lived it, I could have easily put myself there with your detailed descriptions and perfect word choices for this trip down memory lane. Well done!
ReplyDeleteYEP, remember Kasey Kasem, American Bandstand and all of those 'Oldies' plus a few before your your BackInThey Day Time. Our on the 'Radio Waves' in West Texas favorite station was KMOA out of Oklahoma City. It so ROCKED our world as we drove around the Dingo...local hangout...and yes, we called it a hangout way back then.
Thanks for the memories. Outta sight post for the Letter A.
Sue at CollectInTexas Gal
AtoZ 2015 Challenge
Minion for AJ's wHooligans
Thanks, Sue. Glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for sharing your memories! Our drag was from Sonic on one end of town to Dairy Queen on the other.
DeleteI listened to ALL of these songs too! Loved watching the Monkees and singing along with them. I don't remember the radio being AM but listened to Casey as well. I got to see Gordon Lightfoot live once, just his guitar and himself on stage and I was close! I think he must have helped push me along the path of writing because Every time I hear "If You Could Read My Mind" I SEE all the visuals in that song and feel the longing to tell stories... Lisa AtoZ 2015 co-host @lisabuiecollard.com
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! Lightfoot was a storyteller first and foremost! Thanks for sharing your memories.
DeleteThat's cool you won, even if you didn't get to go to the game. Ah, the days of listening to the radio...
ReplyDeleteIt's the only thing I ever won! LOL
DeleteNice.
ReplyDeleteI hardly ever listen to the radio - maybe only occasionally in the car.
It's all online streaming and CDs or digital downloads now :)
Yep, I hear you. And it's nice and handy to have.
DeleteMy mom would listen to the radio while she was doing her household chores or her crafts; we always had it on it seemed. I do remember listening to the countdown of Casey Kasim and his music trivia. It was always fun too to follow the contests! Great theme and start of the challenge, Barbara!
ReplyDeletebetty
Very similar to my mom. Thank you , Betty!
DeleteI love that radio! I wish I had one like that to put in my office. :)
ReplyDelete-Chrys Fey
Tremp’s Troops - A to Z Co-co-host
Write with Fey
Yeah, that would be cool, assuming there was a spot in your office for clear AM reception.
DeleteOne of our local radio stations re-plays Casey Kasem's weekly countdowns on Sunday mornings-we listen to it every week on the way to church and it's become a bit of a tradition now :)
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! Wish one around here did that. I'd listen all over again!
DeleteWe must be close to the same age as I have many of those same memories. Loved the music. After my divorce from my first husband "This Diamond Ring" was one I sang a lot :)
ReplyDeleteSmidgen Snippets & Bits
Yeah, I bet we are Paula. Were you singing it as what he must of been saying? LOL
DeleteFABULOUS post! What great memories that you shared. I so remember AM radio. And I remember when FM radio first came out too. I love that you chose to share the songs of the Monkees! I'm looking forward to your other A-Z posts. I'm definitely bookmarking your blog!
ReplyDeleteMichele at Angels Bark
Thank you! Yeah, do you remember trying to do the "monkey" walk with your friends, like they did at the beginning of the show each week?
DeleteMusic is everything. You post brought back my old AM Station from San Francsco in the last 60's and 70's. KFRC. Loved it! I still have my transistor radios that still play from them too!
ReplyDeleteGood pic for the A-Z.
As I See It Daily
Great! That's what I hoped to do with this theme. Get everyone's memories going and having them shared here.
DeleteThe songs were different, but that radio is the twin of the one my mum had that I grew up listening to!! Don't get much chance of listening to the radio with my mum very often now, but her day starts with it still. Lovely memories, thanks.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Nilanjana.
Madly-in-Verse
That must of been a very popular radio back in the day! Thanks for sharing your memory.
DeleteHi there fellow Texan. I love this post!! It totally took me back to many of the same memories with windows up and laying on the grace. I grew up mostly with my grandparents who listened to the radio with only AM. Stopping by from the a to z challenge and can already tell i'll be back.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to visit 5 a day like they suggested. This is my first time to do this challenge.
Wonderful, Holli! Welcome to the Challenge. Enjoy yourself.
DeleteLife & Faith in Caneyhead
I am Ensign B ~ One of Tremp's Troops with the
A to Z Challenge
Casey Casem (I enjoyed his shows!) and your playlist made me remember the album by The Carpenters that was a retro to the fifties. They had the song 'Yesterday Once More'. I need another copy. Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome Diana! That's what I'm all about this challenge, the memories.
DeleteNow I have the monkees theme in my head. Can't say I ever had a radio like that, before my time lol
ReplyDeleteAw, you young'ns!
DeleteSometimes I will listen to the AM stations from lowest to the highest just to hear whatever may be out there... Great start, all the luck on all the letters!
ReplyDeleteWelcome in the "A"... as a host I am stopping by to say thank you!
Jeremy [Retro]
AtoZ Challenge Co-Host [2015]
There's no earthly way of knowing.
Which direction we are going!
HOLLYWOOD NUTS!
Come Visit: You know you want to know if me or Hollywood... is Nuts?
Yes, we all know if alien life forms were to try to communicate with us here on earth, the AM air waves is how they'd choose to do it. ;)
DeleteI enjoyed this so much. It really took me back to those radio days! I went to sleep with a transistor radio under my pillow!
ReplyDeleteOh, no! That's the one place I don't want to hear anything but a box fan running! But I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
Deletetook me forever to save up allowance money $7 and buy a small transistor radio. I carried that thing everywhere - such a tinny sound, but it was magic.
ReplyDeleteLOL Yep, at that time it truly was.
DeleteWe had AM radio in our car when I was very small, until my father won a similar contest (it was the sound of breaking glass, I think). The prize was an FM converter for the car, and that was the end of AM radio, for us.
ReplyDeleteI love The Monkees and the Platters...great playlist!
Hey a free upgrade! That was awesome.
DeleteLoving your theme :) I think it's really interesting seeing what everyone chose for their themes!
ReplyDeletePopping by on the A to Z Road Trip
Debbie
www.myrandommusings.blogspot.com
Thank you, Debbie! Enjoy your journey.
DeleteI have just found your blog through the challenge Road Trip. I LOVE this post and was enough to make me follow you. The writing and reflection is well done and is the kind of thing I post on my blog as well from time to time. Just now writing a series of posts about summertime and growing up. If you have time, come and visit. Look forward to further posts like this. Well done!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you enjoyed the post, Stepheny! I like post about nostalgia, reflections, life stories. Sounds like we have something in common! Will be over for a peak soon.
Delete