My sister’s favorite Coasters song.
On our monthly, 4-hour road trips to Grandma’s house, my dad let my sister and I choose which tapes of his oldies we listened to. My brother wanted no part of it, and listened to his sweet new Sony Walkman the whole trip.
I can identify pretty much any oldie within the first few notes and tell you who sang it. It’s the only thing my dad and I have in common. I made him put it in his will that I get all his old 45s.
I grew up on oldies. Almost every childhood memory I have is attached to a song that was played on WCBS-FM back when they were an “oldies but goodies” station. It was a constant in our house. On Sunday nights when the weather was warm, we’d sit outside with my parents and listen to the doo wop show.
This is also, for my sisters and I - a common bond with our father (and mother) - when we sing along to Earth Angel or In the Still of the Night or any of those oldies, it’s those magic moments from our backyard or the car all over again.
(It’s my mother who has an attic’s worth of 45s that I want handed down to me)
Both my parents were older when they started our family. Most of my friend’s parents listened to Journey or Kansas, but my parents listened to Motown, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, and sundry other “Oldies”. I also grew up on these amazing harmonies and melodies.
My dad saw The Coasters in concert three times growing up; a fact I remember due to the consistency of him relaying this story every single time they were played on the radio. They always remind me of his out of date, but nevertheless, nerdy sense of humor. In large measure, I think I got much of that from him.
Sometimes I feel a tinge of sorrow at the knowledge that music has changed so much since that time and that it will most likely mean something entirely different to my kids. I know it does to a majority of my peers.
