Ch-Ch-Changes that Faced the 70's

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

WELCOME TO THE FABULOUS 70'S!!!

Relax your mind, take a deep breath and exhale gently through your mouth. Feel your body floating. Can you dig it? Picture yourself levitating and soaring through the sky. The heavenly winds blow clouds on your face. As the vapors fade away, you are startled by the round, jovial face of a grandmother’s clock smiling at you. Now take her hand and rewind a few decades back. STOP!!!

You have entered the 70’s, an era of transition. We didn't start the fire; we inherited the inferno. Yes, burn baby burn, disco inferno. It’s a Saturday night, and I feel all right so come on lets dance. WAIT... before we jump the gun like “mother superior,” let’s go through time in a logical trend. First stop is the Beatles’ exhibition, my favorite group of all lives. (I'm not convinced there are many masters, many lives, but I want to be politically correct to “rock” on the ratings.)

BREATHE IN.....BREATHE OUT.....

As the decade begins the beatles bow out with two number one albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be. They leave us with a broken heart but with the hope of one day, a reunion. Optimistically, we tune into Saturday Night Live with Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd and the not ready for prime time players. Dan Aykroyd performs a great impersonation of our awkward President Nixon, flinging his arms towards the sky with the traditional 60’s peace greeting chanting, “I’m not a crook.” I am convinced our president suffered from OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. His obsession with communism unleashed the FBI against those who spoke against war and anyone who publicly criticized his office. The unethical wrath was let loose and targeted protesters, entertainers and musical artists, one of which was John Lennon, a legendary peacemaker and my favorite Beatle. But instant karma knocked on Dick’s oval door and flooded the media with “Watergate” news. Despite his disembarking of GI’s from Vietnam and the opening of dialogue with communist China, the country cannot forget the break-in and tapping of the Democratic National Committee and the scandalous cover-up orchestrated by the leader of our nation. President Nixon makes history as the first president to resign office.

EXHALE.... HOLD IT!!!!

LOOK!! Behind the scenes, the Rolling Stones are waving hello. They’re still lingering as the cockroaches of the music industry. Meanwhile, Led Zeppelin steps up into the limelight breaking ground for heavy metal sounds with the mesmerizing hit, Stairway to Heaven, and joining them were other spectacular groups such as Pink Floyd, The Allman Brothers, and Queen. (I hope I didn't leave your favorite group out.) Its out-a-sight and dy-NO-mite are the “in slangs.” The new leisure past time is CB radios and the zany sport of streaking. Feel free to peal your costumes too and try imagining yourself tip toeing through the tulips with me.

FILL YOUR LUNGS WITH EACH BREATH....TAKE IN THE 70’S

Ch-ch-ch-changes indeed are taking place in the background. The roaches endure the decade. Mick Jagger gets a makeover, paints on sleek-leather pants and hypnotizes the audience as he sways his tiny hips seductively while waiting on a friend. Psssst…..the friend is not a lady. Then, shortly thereafter the “Rocket Man” hits the chart and Ziggy Stardust plays the guitar. The alien influx was influencing the teen culture as they glorified sexual ambiguity and androgyny. (They started the joke that started Madonna embracing close encounters of the femalekind and her kissing frenzy with “little” women in the 2000’s.) These aliens sported heavy make-up and glittered attire to cool-off the passé macho look. On the news the headlines scream, ”Apollo 13 malfunctions and the lunar exploration mission aborted," which reminds me, did Neil Armstrong really walk on the moon or was it a secret plot to win the space race? It is, of course, a conspiracy theory. Side by side the music plays and casts a mellow shadow on the moon with the smooth sounds of artists like James Taylor. Ain't it good to know he has friends like Carole King and Carly Simon? Let’s switch stations… Is that Jim Croce on the telephone with the Operator? There never seems to be enough time to see all the things we want to see once you find them. Don’t you agree? If only I could save time in a bottle, I would sip it slowly. Are you still with me? Time is almost up. Do not drift away.

TAKE A SIP OF COOL, MINTY FLAVORED TEA 'CAUSE THINGS ARE STARTING TO HEAT. FEEL THE TEMPERATURE RISING....LUCY IS IN THE SKY GIVING POWER TO WOMEN....

Breaking ground and increasing momentum is the ERA movement. Supported by leaders such as Gloria Steinem, unconventional women liberated their twins and burned their brassieres. Other fires were “flaming” throughout the nation. Rock and mellow sounds were not igniting the dancers’ "sole." Brewing in New York's gay, black and hispanic barrios, the disco sound is burning the soulful soles of our platform shoes. D.J's rule the disco scene. The disco ball is turning and the BeeGees soundtrack album resonates throughout clubs. John Travolta clones are strutting all around town. The character, Tony Manero, from Saturday Night Fever, becomes a model for teens and young adults, and so does his egotistical and arrogant style. The decade opens the door to the "I, ME, MINE" mentality -- the getting to know me, getting to know all about me quest. A book entitled "I'm OK, you're OK” is on the best sellers’ list. Have you read it? It's OK. I preferred the book “Love Story.” Love is all you need, and Barry White is what I seek. “Oh baybay, oh baybay,” - the deep baritone whispers can melt a glacier in the Antarctic Ocean. Sweeter and sweeter, deeper and deeper his 8-track tape is inserted in the deck. After the loving, everyone is in the mood for funk. Kool and the Gang, Earth, Wind, and Fire come down with boogie fever and slowly, the disco ball drops off the bridge and fizzles into the river. Punk Rock is slowly surfacing with a new style -- Blondie, Talking Heads, Elvis Costello and the Ramones. Could Madonna be Blondie's descendant or Mick Jagger’s?

WHEW, ARE YOU DIZZY?....I’M SO DIZZY....

My head is spinning? We rushed through the 70’s zone rather quickly and still there is so much music and history we didn’t get to visit. I regret not taking you through the Fleetwood Mac memory lane exhibits. The group members are talented musicians, who wrote insightful lyrics and soul, stirring tunes. Stevie is a poet in my heart.

LET'S SLOWLY WIND DOWN AS WE APPROACH THE LAST STOP: A GLIMPSE OF A PAGE OF THE LADY’S ALBUM....

Isn’t she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? There she is at her 1973 graduation “grinning” widely, wearing platform shoes and a pink mini-dress that barely covers the matching satin hot pants. Next to her is a tall, slender incredible “hunk” with dark, shoulder length hair. He is sporting a light blue polyester shirt, flair white slacks and platform shoes. He is funky, Funky Nelson. He was the lady’s first, but not her last, and certainly, not her EVERYTHING! The song playing on the 8-track is Colour My World by Chicago. The moment was BLISSFUL, engulfed in the promises and hopes of everlasting amour. Innocence is green and synonymous with BLISS.

RING....RING....RING.... DO NOT PICK UP THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!

On the line is Grandma clock, and she’s going to scream in your ear CAFÉ!!! Hehehehehe… Once you wake up and smell the coffee, you will forget all the things we just experienced. You are going to eventually pick up the phone. The ring is irresistible, isn’t it? Pavlov is right; we are conditioned and therefore predictable. Thank you for your time, you’ve been so much more than kind....

RING...RING...RING……“HELLO”... “CAFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

This moment in time will be documented in the “LADY GRINNING SOUL’S” portfolio at writing.com. You can visit with me anytime day or night, I’ll be here.

:) Thank you for the dime.

Greenpeace