It’s the last day of 2021 and like many of us I’ve just looked back to see what I wrote on this same day last year. As expected it was all about what an awful year it had been, but I did add, “At least there is hope on the horizon, as vaccines are now coming on stream faster than you can say Jack Robinson (god bless the scientists). Hopefully by Spring, life will have started to get a bit easier for all of us.”
Each person’s pandemic experience has been different, but personally I’ve not felt this year has been any easier at all. In fact it’s been a whole load worse in some ways as I’m fairly sure my old life has gone for good, never to return. I am aware some families have had a far worse experience, so not the time to moan about it, but my goodness, lets hope 2022 is indeed a better year. If my old life has gone, I need to set about creating a new one.
In 2020 I was more prolific with my blogging than I’ve been this year – We had this momentous new situation to deal with and there was much to write about. There were rants, posts written purely to entertain, reviews and diary entries (all accompanied by an appropriate song). This year I’m aware my posts have been a bit more downbeat, as I think I’m suffering pandemic fatigue. Apologies for that, but hope you’ve noticed I’ve tried to end the year a bit more joyfully, kickstarted by sharing a few words of wisdom from her Dollyness, Ms Parton.
Revisiting favourite old songs makes me happy, as does finding out so much more about them than was ever possible back in the day. Tears sometimes prick my eyes when I’m out and about battling whatever restrictions are currently in place (visiting my mum in her care home has been a challenge, as has earning my living and meeting up with friends), but making a ‘new’ old song discovery, always raises the spirits. This year, as happened last year, my favourite new discovery was from the late 1960s. What can I say, I was born too late.
Because The Association were never that well-known over here in the UK, when their song Never My Love appeared on the soundtrack to one of the dramas we watched on telly this year, it was new to me, and I was immediately smitten by their sunshine pop sound. Unbelievably, that song turned out to be one of the most listened to of the 20th century, but over in North America and not here. Of course I ended up writing about it and in the comments boxes mention was made of other hit records by The Association. One of those hits was this song, Windy, which I can’t help thinking sounds like the theme tune to a kids telly show from my childhood, but I’m not having much luck finding out if that was actually the case. Maybe someone out there could help? Whatever, maybe because of that perceived association with my childhood, it makes me smile whenever I hear it.
The song was written by Ruthann Friedman about a man, but in the version by The Association they changed the lyrics to make Windy a girl. It’s a long time since anyone called me a girl, but after another shitty year, there is nothing I would love more than to: Trip down the streets of the city, Smilin’ at everybody I see (whilst not wearing a mask). Who knows, maybe in 2022?
Until next time… A very Happy New Year to everyone who drops by this place.
Windy Lyrics
(Song by Ruthann Friedman)
Who’s peeking out from under a stairway
Calling a name that’s lighter than air?
Who’s bending down to give me a rainbow?
Everyone knows it’s Windy
Who’s tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who’s reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it’s Windy
And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)
And Windy has stormy eyes
That flash at the sound of lies
And Windy has wings to fly
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)
Above the clouds (Above the clouds)
Who’s tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who’s reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it’s Windy
Who’s tripping down the streets of the city
Smiling at everybody she sees?
Who’s reaching out to capture a moment?
Everyone knows it’s Windy
What's It All About? 
Rather appropriate choice as it’s a very windy New Year here… which was pleasing to the grumpy among us, because it seemed to limit last night’s fireworks.
Hoping for a better 2022 for you and yours, Alyson.
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I think I tempted fate as it’s been really windy here too today.
Yes, think we’re all hoping for a better 2022 although here’s the thing, I’ve just looked back at my Dina Carroll Perfect Year post from the start of 2017 (courtesy of Sat Snapshots) and I was hoping for a better year, as 2016 had been so awful! I now look back at 2016 very fondly. Think we’re just going to have to recalibrate what an acceptably good year looks like. (Also up to individual circumstances – I know 2021 has been good for you.)
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Happy New Year Alyson, fantastic choice..Windy is top notch pop and guaranteed to have repeated listens whenever it pops up on my music player.
Hope its a good year for all…..fingers crossed
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Happy New Year Softshoe, “One of the greatest slices of pop,” you called it in the comments boxes and I have to agree. My favourite new, old discovery from last year. Thanks for that.
As for the good year, as I said to Rol above, perhaps we just have to recalibrate what a good year looks like I seem to be continually disappointed by all that’s happened over the last few years. Or, bury myself in late ’60s sunshine pop!
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Ah!! The Association! The epitome of ‘Sunshine Pop”. “Cherish” will always be in my Top 5. The song has one hook after another. Here’s to a better 2022, even if it starts out ‘Windy’ 🙂
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One of the high points of 2021 was discovering The Association – Love their sunshine pop style harmonies. They don’t make ’em like that any more.
Yes, let’s be optimistic about 2022. The wind has now subsided luckily but in it’s place we now have snow!
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Happy New Year! Yup, it’s windy here in Orkney too, but then again that’s not such a surprise! Whilst our tastes in music are very different, our similar ages mean that I usually have some distant inkling of the tracks you feature in the blog. Not this time, though, The Association is new to me. The Camberwick Green cameo from Mr W Miller made me chuckle!
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Happy New Year Graeme. Yes the lack of trees in Orkney kind of goes hand in hand with it being windy, but still a beautiful landscape.
Our North American friends are surprised when we Brits say we had never heard of The Association but many of us just hadn’t. Making up for it now though. I obviously thought of Mr W Miller when I thought the song was a theme tune from kids telly but it seems it wasn’t, just got that kind of sound to it. Always nice to get a wave from Windy though.
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Yes a great pop song, and a joy to see Windy Miller grace these pages too. Mrs Honeyman next please (now there’s a challenge but I suspect that you of all people could rise to it!
I too very much hope to be able to “…trip down the streets of the city, Smilin’ at everybody I see (whilst not wearing a mask)” Perhaps we’ll manage to at a bloggers’ summit (or mini summit) this year – who knows? Determined to be optimistic. Happy New Year to you and yours, and I hope it’s started well for you.
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Trying to start the new year on an upbeat and optimistic note so this is me either burying myself in ’60s nostalgia or just enjoying a bit of sunshine pop for what it is. Sounds as if I might have been wrong about the theme tune and it’s definitely not Windy’s show as it sounds like this, courtesy of the lovely Brian Cant. He had immaculate timing that Windy Miller, a lesser man would have been decapitated by those ‘sails’, whilst going in and out of the windmill.
Yes, a lovely thought being able to wander around town not wearing a mask, smiling at everyone we see. I’m sure I’ve ignored many people I know this year just because you don’t recognise them from eyes alone. Happy New Year to you too – Think we’ve just got to go for it this year and set some dates in the calendar. We can do it!
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You may well have suffered from pandemic fatigue on the blogging front Alyson, but I’ve practically ground to a halt over the past couple of years, so hats off to you for ploughing on through it all!
I grew up in London and remember ‘Windy’ as the theme tune to Thames Television’s early evening magazine show Today, hosted by Eamonn Andrews and Bill Grundy, the latter of whom was in charge when The Sex Pistols and friends notoriously paid a visit in 1976. You can hear a blast of the theme tune at the end of the clip.
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So that’s why I thought it was the theme tune to a show – I’ve seen that interview many times (and cringe more every time I see it – they were lambs to the slaughter) but hadn’t registered the tune before. Thanks for clearing up that mystery.
Yes, not quite so prolific last year but understandable considering. You’re still there though and every now and again you post a lovely old photo which gets us all nostalgic. Just keep it going and when inspiration strikes it will be there for you (and the community which is really what keeps most of us going).
Happy New Year!
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