we did the smells now for the songs

my music memory goes back almost further than my proper memory.  like the smells that evoke memories there are so many songs as well.  i thought i would do a family portfolio of what song reminds me of which family member.  to start at the beginning would be a good place, so here goes:-


1.   my dad - the late, cyril arthur pay:-

does anyone remember chris montez?  my dad had just got his brand new STEREO pioneer hi-fi system - top of the range.  he had a wonderful selection of records and this song and the record cover brings back memories of sitting with dalene on his "shaggy carpet" in his beachfront flat in port elizabeth.  he had heaps of frank sinatra and dean martin stuff but chris montez was about the most modern of the lot so we listened to it over and over again.  so much so that i can still remember the order of songs on side 1 (promise):-

2.   then my mom, joan gwendoline traill (born carlson, nee pay, nee barber) - almost like elizabeth taylor but alive and well and prettier (and about 5 husbands short of her record):-

at my mom's 70th (a year or two ago) we changed the words to a song that my mom used to sing to us. we got the whole family involved so i could mouth the words (with expression) so as not put the whole cast off-key.   my mother loves the movies and is great at quizzes (and 30 seconds) especially on the old movies and old movie stars.  doris day was a favourite the words and music in this song always make me smile and think of my mom:-

When I was just a little girl
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be pretty, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
I tell them tenderly.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

ok mom, who is the dude getting undressed in the first snippet?

3.   my step-dad, the late, great david george thomas barber (also known as dick and dickels):-

oh deary me, this is a funny one.  my step-dad had the strangest taste in music (brother david has inherited some of it). jim reeves was top of his list. when he and my mom married and we all finally moved into the house in rondebosch that he had beautifully renovated along with him came his collection of records.   in this pile of records came a whole new world of songs and artists (mostly country and western) who we had never heard of slim whitman, david allan, hank williams, waylon jennings and glen campbell.  there was also an artist that just whistled - an entire lp of whistling - weird.  so choosing a song for dickels was easy:-

indian love call - slim whitman



he also had a habit of putting a song to any words that you had just said (funny michael also does it) 

example: 

jenny:  those roses are beautiful

dickels (in song):  moonlight and roses, bring wonderful mem'ries of you, my heart reposes, in beautiful thoughts so true. (jim reeves - moonlight and roses)

4.   50-year-old sister, dalene:-

after apologizing publicly at her 50th birthday for all the nasty things i did to my little sister (that will be a posting for the future), while writing this post and thinking of what song reminds me most of dalene, it has to be this one:-

we were living in johannesburg in 1969 when the original oliver with mark lester was released (and when neil armstrong walked on the moon).   it was such a sad movie that every time i heard the song "where is love" i used to burst into tears.  dalene caught onto this and in her beautiful little voice she used to sing it to me whenever she thought it was time for me to be brought down to size and to shed a few tears.  i don't lie but this carried on for about 3 years. 

(bet she is pleased that i did not mention abba, donny osmond, david cassidy or david essex)

david cassidy

5.  brother, david john barber:-

david gets a hard time from his nephews (my 3 boys) whenever they happen to see or hear the songs that he has on his ipod.  david once made a comment that he only likes songs with a chorus and this is still true today.  when he was at school he was in the chamber choir (he has a wonderful singing voice).  he and a friend worked at the longhorn steakhouse in newlands (remember it?  next to the transito hotel?).  they were at uct and he and ross used to do the singing thing for special occasions (a bit fancier than the spur's happy birthday rendition).  they sang beautifully and at his 21st they sang this song together (acapella). it is also one of my favourite billy joel songs:-

Woa, oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Woa, oh, oh
For the longest

If you said goodbye to me tonight
There would still be music left to write
What else could I do
I'm so inspired by you
That hasn't happened for the longest time

Once I thought my innocence was gone
Now I know that happiness goes on
That's where you found me
When you put your arms around me
I haven't been there for the longest time

Woa, oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Woa, oh, oh
For the longest

I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall
And the greatest miracle of all
Is how I need you
And how you needed me too
That hasn't happened for the longest time

Maybe this won't last very long
But you feel so right
And I could be wrong
Maybe I've been hoping too hard
But I've gone this far
And it's more than I hoped for

Who knows how much further we'll go on
Maybe I'll be sorry when you're gone
I'll take my chances
I forgot how nice romance is
I haven't been there for the longest time

I had second thoughts at the start
I said to myself
Hold on to your heart
Now I know the woman that you are
You're wonderful so far
And it's more than I hoped for

I don't care what consequence it brings
I have been a fool for lesser things
I want you so bad
I think you ought to know that
I intend to hold you for the longest time

Woa, oh, oh, oh
For the longest time
Woa, oh,oh
For the longest time
Woa, oh, oh
For the longest time
Woa, oh, oh,
For the longest time
(Fade Out)

(note the nice long chorus...)

i will give you more on this topic next monday.  music monday's sounds pretty cheesy but it will help give "all over the place" me a bit of direction.