Music

Music played a pretty big part in creating all that is Queen Chelle.
Mom played music in the house..in the car..pretty much everywhere. And she listened to pretty much everything. No genre was out of bounds. The only requirement? It had to be good. And I mean goooood. Catchy tunes, memorable lyrics, but most of all, good vocals. Nothing drove her (or me now, for that matter!) crazier than a good song being sung by someone sounding like two cats engaging in behaviour that ultimately leads to baby kitties.
So what, you ask, were some of the biggies? (musically speaking, that is!)
Hmm..let's start at the very beginning..a very good place to start...

Good morning, starshine, the earth says "Hello"

You twinkle above us, we twinkle below

Good morning, starshine, you lead us along

My love and me as we sing our early morning singing song

Gliddy, glup, gloopy

Nibby nabby noopy

La, la, la, lo, lo

Sabba sibby sabba

Nooby abba nabba

Le, le, lo, lo

Tooby ooby walla

Nooby abba nabba

Early morning singing song

Yup. Pretty much answers all those nagging questions everyone has about me, doesn't it?
And the first album I remember playing over and over until mom couldn't tell if it was live or Memorex? Sigh. Gulp. Ok. I can do this. (loud exhale)
Debbie Boone. You Light Up My Life.
I didn't just play it. I BECAME it. To this day, I can still sing every song, in order, from the first song on side A all the way through the last song on side B.
A little technology lesson for all of you imps who were born A/C (after CDs). People in the 70s had things called cassette tapes. Music albums were cut into two semi equal parts. Half on one side, half on the other. It was impossible to go straight to one song at the touch of a button. (Think fast forwarding or rewinding on an old (shudder) VHS.) If you loved the whole album, you played the whole album. But if you only loved a single song, or just one or two, you usually played only the side with those songs. But at least this was a step UP from eight track tapes. (See dinosaur music playing machines)
And that brings us to our next group of songs. For those who aren't aware, the grade school I attended was also my church. (How conveeeeenient!)
Since church + school = catchy kids Bible verse songs, a company called "Agapeland Music" or something to that effect made it big in the 70s with a series of records which started with the megahit (at least in my mind) "The Music Machine". The record spawned a stage play, with a handy dandy built in soundtrack. Many children's church directors were then photographed wearing captains jackets that only Sargent Pepper could love. Most people only remember the song about patience, sung by a snail. Me? I loved every minute of that album, and drove mom crazy with that one as well. She, however, got back at me by singing the patience song each and every time I got antsy.
http://www.geocities.com/agapelandsite/mp10.html
Wow! I think that's enough soul baring for today. Tune in again for more "Memories of Music by Michelle". (cue my phone voice and old timey cheesy radio music theme song)