Well, I lived there too, and went to Tucson several times. Phoenix radio worked on the highway down, but not once we got into the outskirts of Tucson (at least not FM - AM was a different story). YMMV. Or, they had a repeater, which I know several TV stations did in addition to some radio stations.
Time once again for me to pick the one song from the year that I would have liked to see get to #1 (but didn't!). 1971 turned out to be a better year than I thought it would be, with an impressive selection of songs that reached the top. So as you would expect, there were a bunch that stalled short of the top that I could have chosen. Among my favorites were: One Less Bell to Answer, Here Comes the Sun (Richie Havens' dynamite version), Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling, Liar, Mercy Mercy Me, Another Day, Beginnings, Mr. Bojangles, It Don't Come Easy, Don't Pull Your Love, If You Could Read My Mind, Superstar, Temptation Eyes, Signs, Ain't No Sunshine (amazing track!), Treat Her Like a Lady (a big favorite of mine), and Smiling Faces Sometimes. My top two are both iconic songs that have stood the test of time. The runner-up was Marvin Gaye's What's Goin' On? Gaye is one of my favorite Motown stars, and I for one loved his turn towards this type of music in the early seventies. What's Goin' On perfectly expresses the feeling of the pre-Watergate 70s, and still speaks to people to this day. But there was one song that was even more of an iconic track that I simply couldn't ignore. The song I most would have liked to see get to #1 that didn't was Imagine by John Lennon. Amazingly, considering its reputation, that song only peaked at #3. Imagine has in some ways transcended pop music itself to become somewhat of a secular anthem. When there is a need to console people after a tragedy or to express universal sympathy for others, Imagine seems to be the go-to song to perform. Imagine is the song most associated with post-Beatles John Lennon. But it wasn't always that way. The song really grew into its status in the wake of Lennon's murder. Still, in 1971 it was his biggest solo hit up to that time, and the album it came from, also named Imagine, was also a lot more popular than his other solo work had been. He made a full length film of the Imagine album, and below is the clip showing the title song: It's difficult to unpack the song, because it has become so freighted with baggage through its frequent use and overuse. And many have come to resent the song for this reason. But there can be no question that, if any song has become a standard from 1971, it's this one. I'll get to the lyrics in a minute, but first, I want to talk about Imagine as a tune. I believe there are two prime reasons that the song has gained the status it has. Firstly, it has an absolutely lovely melody. It is simple and easy to sing, but haunting and wistful like few other tunes. Secondly, the title, Imagine, is simple, direct, and matches the dreamlike melancholy of the tune. I also love the production on this one, which starts simply, then adds tasteful orchestral backing as it proceeds. Imagine falls right in line with the style of art that Yoko in particular was interested in. She was the kind of artist who would hand you a business card that said 'Breathe' on it. Her art is on some levels absurd, but it makes a point, and it's an interesting one: there are ways to look at even mundane things that may change your perspective on life in general. Another good example of John doing this was when he invented his imaginary country Nutopia for the Mind Games album. He included the Nutopian International Anthem on that album, which was, of course, a few seconds of silence. The entire country was more a state of mind than a state that could exist on a map. Lennon had a lot going on in late 1971. He was feuding with Paul McCartney, and the album Imagine also included the infamous song How Do You Sleep? which mercilessly knocked his old writing partner. He addressed Paul in a letter to Melody Maker at the time, saying of Imagine that it was "Working Class Hero with sugar on it for conservatives like you" (Working Class Hero having been one of the highlights of his previous album, Plastic Ono Band). He has a point. Large crowds of people will probably never sing Working Class Hero, both because the song is more complex musically, and because it is more confrontational. Imagine is a song that couches its radical ideas in a more approachable form, but that he got away with singing things like "imagine there's no Heaven" in a top 40 song is really pretty incredible, even in the early 70s. (that has to be one of the most stunning opening lines to a song that I can recall. Not 'imagine there's no hell', which we can all get on board with. That's like starting a Christmas song with 'imagine there's no Santa'!). These days, the source of much of the snark against the song comes because of the lyrics. The argument goes like this: "Lennon sings 'imagine no possessions', but I didn't see him or Yoko giving away all their money. What a hypocrite!" For a song as "universal" as this one, it really does have some provocative ideas, which is one of the reasons I love it, actually. Guaranteed there is at least one idea in the song you won't agree with. Yes, even Lennon wouldn't have done all the things he sings about. The point is, he doesn't have to. He's not saying, "Give away all your wealth!" He's saying, *Imagine* no possessions. Imagine is the key word in the entire exercise. Imagine a world where we don't kill each other over stupid things all the time, like fictional lines on a map or who has the better God. He anticipates the criticism he will receive and answers it directly in the song: "You may say I'm a dreamer/but I'm not the only one". I'm not even sure he thinks it's really possible to do the things he suggests, or that they in and of themselves will be sufficient to end suffering. But all he's saying is, "imagine", and, if we get enough people who are dreamers together, maybe, just maybe, the "world will live as one". Perhaps naive, but definitely food for thought, because in the end, it really is the will of people that can make things great or miserable in this world, and if some significant percentage were someday to say no to violence, well, who knows what could happen? "What if they gave a war and nobody came" and all that. In a world where so many negative messages are thrown at us every day, I'll take the dreamer hoping for peace any time we can get him!
That was one weird movie. It starred Will from Lost In Space and I think was Stanley Kramer's last film. It's about a group of boys who decide to stop a buffalo hunt and is very 70s. I would post the trailer, but it's actually kind of disturbing and political, so if you're interested, you can find it on YouTube.
Hmmm... not sure I could rank them all, but if I had to pick my top five favorite #1s of the year, I'd choose (in no particular order): My Sweet Lord/Isn't It A Pity - George Harrison Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - Paul and Linda McCartney Maggie May/Reason To Believe - Rod Stewart Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes Family Affair - Sly & The Family Stone And Cher just misses the top five.
Gah! It's so hard sometimes if you drop a few pages behind on this thread! I respond to a post, and twenty minutes later after I read several more pages, I realize someone has posted the same clip I did but before me. But yeah I posted this one too. I wrote: Love this one. That organ feels like the nasty woman knifing him right in the ribs! Oh well, going to delete my post now...
Then there's always: No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no, no no no no, no no no no, no no no no no no.... nobody can do the shingaling like I do... etc.
The main reason the song got criticised by some is the one you elegantly navigated around: "Imagine there's no heaven.". The line about possessions is a big one too. They are also the two main things we can't talk about here. I love the song. Always have, and I fully understand what he meant.
Before we move on I'd also like to throw a mention Marvin's way in the name of the unbelievably catchy 'Mercy Me (The Ecology)'. Marvin was able to send 3 songs from his 'What's Going On' album into the Billboard top 10, longevity rarely seen in those days as well as open the floodgates for artistic freedom/expression at Motown. I finished reading David Ritz biography of Marvin and with this album he basically ushered in a new era for not just the company but soul music in general. Him being hard headed finally worked against Berry Gordy. It did help however that by this point Berry had set his sights on Hollywood, bought a home there and was now focused on making Diana a movie star. Marvin got Berry's old home, moved in with his wife and young son and felt a liberation and freedom he had never felt before. The album was such a hit that when he returned to his old hometown, DC, the homecoming was grand, parades, marches, the Mayor was there to congratulate as well as old acquaintances and friends. This album wasn't just a big triumph for Marvin but in some ways it was for his community and all associated with him. It's still so relevant 46 years later.
Whenever talk turns to the "controversial" lyrics of "Imagine", I'm reminded of the classic WKRP episode where a Moral Majority type group is picketing the station for playing devil music. I won't link the scene as it gets political, but it's on the YouTubes. The gist is that the leader of the group claims the lyrics are declaring there's no heaven ... Mr. Carlson, the station manager, responds that no, they're saying imagine there's no heaven. That distinction is critical.
As long as we're discussing Imagine...I've always loved the song, and knew what John mean by the lyrics. He does promote agnosticism, which was VERY controversial at the time. Musically, I think it's his prettiest composition since In My Life, as far as ballads go.
And pretty soon in this thread, we'll be discussing how a certain Mr. Wonder flourished in that new environment.
FM signals generally don't go more than 100 miles (and that may be stretching it) because they are straight-line signals only. Last time I was there, Arizona was at least 350 miles N-S by 350 miles E-W (and I think I may be underestimating the N-S distance by a bit). My point being, an FM station would need a lot of repeaters to cover the whole state. Maybe the station in question did - I can't speak to that. FM signals don't bounce off the ionosphere like AM signals do (which is why you can listen to NYC stations in Chicago at night, and vice versa). I could see being able to hear an AM station throughout Arizona if it was nighttime "and" it was a clear channel station (meaning no other stations on that frequency anywhere nearby).
They actually showed that movie in my grade school. There are a couple scenes I particularly remember, but I won't recap them here.
I remember reading in this past year about a religious group who used the song but changed the "no heaven" part (not sure exactly how as that's an entire verse). I won't go any further with this for obvious reasons, but it occurred to me that was exactly NOT Lennon's intent, so it stands to me as an example of how groups co-op these songs for their own reasons, regardless of the artist's original intent (and now that has got me thinking about recent political campaigns doing the same thing). As that is another hot potato, I will stop here.
Anyone else remember this funky soul tune by N.F. Porter, "Keep On Keepin' On"? It was a crossover hit circa November 1971. I really dug the cool label design at the time...also purchased "Cool Aid" by Paul Humphries and His Cool Aid Chemists on the same Lizard label earlier in the year. Interestingly, N.F. Porter is married to one of Frank Zappa's sisters.
Exactly. I grew up in a little town 90 miles east of Phoenix, and you could easily pickup AM radio stations from Phoenix itself there, even in all the hills. But FM? Nope. You didn't catch Phoenix's FM radio until you came down out of the hills and had a brief line of sight to South Mountain, and even then they were often weak, especially once you got down into the flatland and some hills blocked the signal. But some Phoenix TV and radio stations did have numerous repeaters for some of the larger markets around the state (Flagstaff, Prescott, Tucson, Globe/Miami), although Tucson was large enough to have many of its own.
Yup, a brilliant album and What's Goin' On? is a great song, too. Like Imagine, it's a song that has lasted and become iconic. Here's a great clip of Marvin and the Funk Brothers (James Jamerson on bass!!!) doing two numbers from the album live in concert. The shots of the audience and the city scenes are so nostalgic for me.
That was a great episode. Richard Paul was one of those character actors in the 70s who was always cast as bible thumpers. He bore an uncanny resemblance to Jerry Falwell: Anyway, in the WKRP episode, Paul's character led a group that would send "suggestions" of songs they would prefer the station not to play. Travis was annoyed by it, but Carlson felt like it was OK because they should be responsive to their listeners. Of course, the implication was that they would boycott the station if WKRP did not follow the suggestions, but it was more subtle than just outright threatening them, which made it seem more realistic. The lists kept getting longer and more frequent, until finally Carlson decided to meet with the guy to talk about it. That's when the classic moment concerning Imagine comes. Carlson basically draws the line, making the point you described. The episode ends, but we are to assume they will get boycotted for this decision. That sort of thing was actually happening around the country at that time, making it a very timely topic for the episode.
Lennon believed in God or had spirituality, at least that's what he usually said in interviews when asked, but he did not trust organized religion. I'm not sure exactly what the term is for that. Agnostic is more someone who doubts there is a God, and I'm not sure that's John (although he did once sing, 'I don't believe in Jesus', so who knows?).
An agnostic is a person who believes in god, but believes that God cannot be understood and therefore, often disregards organized religion. An athiest does not believe in god at all.
Actually, an agnostic might or might not believe in god, but the textbook definition of agnosticism is that the existence of a god or gods, the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable.
