Practical MIDI

On December 9, 1980 I woke to the news of John Lennon’s death the night before and immediately turned on the news. All three networks covered the murder of my rock hero and I was devastated. When they interviewed one kid from Wisconsin, his quote was something to the effect, “Music is the soundtrack of our lives.” That got me to thinking about my own life and the soundtrack that would go with it. I’ll start my soundtrack with 1963, since that was the first I’d heard of the new English group, The Beatles.

I don’t have to remind anyone my own age of the significance of 1963. President Kennedy was assassinated in late November and shortly thereafter The Beatles hit the airways with “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” From that day on I wanted to play the guitar.

1964 was the year of The Beatles. They had five of the top ten songs on the chart at one point. Ford introduced the Mustang and Hasbro introduced G.I. Joe. Touch-tone phones and cassette tape recorders also debuted. Most cars cost just over $2,000 and houses cost around $20,000.

“Help!” comes to movie theaters and to the pop charts in 1965. Nat “King” Cole dies. Diet Pepsi debuts this year and Bonanza was the top TV show. I formed my first band late in the year.

In 1966 a sniper shot 45 people from atop a tower at the University of Texas. Don Knotts leaves “The Andy Griffith Show.” The Beatles and The Monkees battled it out for spots on the pop charts. The Mama and the Papas have a hit with “California Dreaming.”

The “Summer of Love” happened in 1967 and brought with it psychedelic music and “freak-outs.” Sgt. Peppers hit the music stands and influenced a generation with this concept album. Three astronauts die in the Apollo I fire. McDonalds’ Big Mac is introduced for 45 cents. Gasoline costs 33 cents a gallon. “Gilligan’s Island” ends its three-year run and begins reruns that continue today.

1968 was a bad year for assassinations and violence. Bobby Kennedy and Martin King both fell to a bullet that year while demonstrators rioted at the Chicago Democratic Convention, prompting The Rascals to write and record, “People Gotta Be Free.” Jane Mansfield is decapitated in a car crash. “Hey Jude” spends 9 weeks in the #1 spot on the charts. Hawaii Five-O debuts on TV.

Summer of 1969 saw the first man on the moon. Zager and Evans hit #1 with “In The Year 2525,” a song they admittedly wrote in less than 30 minutes. I got married that summer for the first time. That same summer Charles Manson and his followers murdered Sharon Tate and several others in a bloody massacre.

1970 will be remembered for the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The microprocessor is invented this year. The Beatles ended their rein as pop kings with “The Long And Winding Road” before they all took up solo careers. George C. Scott wins the Oscar for “Patton.”

“Willy Wonka” and “Dirty Harry” hit the theaters in 1971. McDonalds’ theme music, “You deserve a break today” and State Farm Insurance’s theme, “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” is first heard (both written by Barry Manilow). Jim Morrison and Duane Allman died this year. George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” tops the charts and costs the former Beatle BIG bucks in a lawsuit over the melody.

In 1972 “All In The Family” was the #1 TV show. After 15 years of great music, Chuck Berry finally hits the #1 spot with “My Ding-A-Ling” proving that the music-listening public does, indeed have popcorn for brains. America started their string of hits with “Horse With No Name” this year.

Jim Croce died in 1973 and “The Sting” took the Oscar for best picture. Four of the five rooftop musicians from the movie, “Let It Be” scored #1 hits, including Billy Preston, but excluding Lennon. Secretariat wins the Kentucky Derby.

Mama Cass Elliott dies in 1974 (and NOT by choking on a ham sandwich). All former Beatles, except Harrison, have a #1 hit this year, as does Billy Preston. Most popular Christmas toy is G.I. Joe with the Kung Foo Grip. Post-It Notes debut.

1975 – Mick Jagger (age 33) is quoted as saying, “I'd rather be dead than sing Satisfaction when I'm 45” and he’s still alive and singing it at age 70. Jimmy Hoffa disappears. The Betamax VCR and Pet Rocks debut. The Eagles score several #1 hits this year.

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak form Apple Computers in 1976. “Disco Duck” hits #1, again proving my popcorn-for-brains theory. “Happy Days” is #1 on TV. “Frampton Comes Alive” album is thee album to have this year.

1977 saw the Son of Sam serial killer on the rampage in New York. The Eagles score two #1 hits with “New Kid In Town” and “Hotel California.” The Atari 2600 game console debuts. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane crashes, killing Steve Gains and Ronnie Van Zant.

Keith Moon of The Who dies from drugs in 1978. The Gibb Brothers hit #1 on the charts five times this year. Marlon Brando earns $14 million for 10 minutes of screen time in the movie, “Superman.” Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream debuts.

The hot Christmas gift for 1979 was the Sony Walkman. 11 people are crushed to death at a Who concert. The Doobie Brothers score a #1 hit with “What A Fool Believes.” “60 Minutes” tops the TV ratings chart. 52 Americans are taken hostage in Iran.

For a lot of people, February 3, 1959 was considered the day the music died when Buddy Holly, Richie Valenz and the Big Bopper died in a plane crash. For me it was December 8, 1980. The soundtrack of my life ended that night in New York City.

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©2012 Bill Bernico for CYBERMIDI.com Downwind Publications