In my ongoing quest for a thrill, a laugh, a pull of the heartstrings, or even something spooky, I made these most recent musical discoveries while strolling along my usual paths of ‘60s pop gems, forgotten
sunshine pop, etc., songs which back in the day spun in all their vinyl glory at beach shacks and soda fountains all over the world (and the dancing kids from those groovy times are now gray or dead). I imagine how mind-blowing it must have been to be a ‘60s teen hippie in London, Paris, or L.A. living through the worldwide youth revolution, shaking your hips, and watching your black and white world turn to color with no idea what was to come next. Today’s music does not leave me with such thoughts, and most of my new faves continue to come from faded, bygone eras (usually the ‘60s).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjfrhQkz_8KbZO9SyS4dcFIxlcFH9WIcKnH2oMJ9S7o6k1AN43i449hhZ_RW2wUyn-_hdvqIehwEPWz4ofTYs1_isQIqrmQrNiYcsSUzZDK5HxPsFYSVwPXmcAa0hTJhXcnBy7Ruj43qEvDctGFG7Lt8JkF5PiMXHpzqqfHXhaqHblT3oyhJYG3rECg/w448-h448/R-14345522-1572651335-6250.jpg)
But it was not all fun and games back when music moved the world. While there were bikinis, free love, flutes, and marijuana (which is addictive), hippie hedonism also brought venereal disease, drug addiction, and, in the end, hopelessness which is what happens when we reject a God-centered universe and try to put man at the center of things. Yet despite all the great music (and messages of love), war, famine, murder, rape, and suicide rolled on through the ‘60s and beyond and will never stop so long as there are human beings. So perhaps that is the message I take away from these songs. The good music- from any decade- lasts; enjoy it while you can as you would a fleeting sunrise. And the sun will return tomorrow. Enjoy!
01. Claudine Longet – “Love Is Blue” (1968)
02. Gene McDaniels – “Point of No Return” (1962)
03. Sweetwater – “In a Rainbow” (1968)
04. The Association – “Happiness Is” (1967)
05. Messer Chups – “Ghost Party” (2015)
06. Bartók: “Romanian Folk Dances, Sz 68 IV: Dance from Bucsum” – Lucie Horsch, Dani Luca (2022)
07. B.B. King – “Better Not Look Down” (1979)
08. The Fourmost – “Baby I Need Your Loving” (1964)
09. Reel Big Fish – “Take on Me” (1998)
10. Cat Stevens – “Don't Be Shy” (1971)
11. Cracker – “Happy Birthday to Me” (1992)
12. Pixies – “Vault of Heaven” (2022)
13. Kai Winding feat. Kenny Burrell – “More (Theme from Mondo Cane)” (1963)
14. Jim Lowe – “Green Door” (1956)
15. KWS – “Please Don't Go (Sunshine Mix)” (1992)
16. David Bowie – “Sound and Vision 2013” (2013)
17. Louis Armstrong - “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” (1968)
18. The Monkees – “Happy Birthday to You” (1968)
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – “The Drummer” (2022)
20. Raul Malo – “Moonlight Kiss” (2009)
Listen to the playlist on Spotify...
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