Music Monday: Rewind That Cassette Tape!

 September saw us rewinding it back to the '70's with two great concerts:

First up was Squeeze, formed in 1973 in South London. Founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook still remain, though the band has gone through many alterations. We had third row seats, allowing eye contact with many of the performers, which is always exhilerating.

You might be saying, "Bijoux, I've never heard of Squeeze." I'm thinking that if you've listened to the radio in the last 40 years, you have to be familiar with this gem. The lyric, 'I said to my reflection, let's get out of this place' is probably the lyric I repeat to myself the most. Other hits you may or may not know: Black Coffee in Bed, Hourglass, Pulling Mussels from the Shell.

In the highlight of the night, the keyboardist broke out an accordion and danced all over the stage. His purple velour suit and black and white oxford-like shoes only added to the hilarity. 

In early 2022, when my husband and I decided we were going to make it a point to see as many older artists as we could (before they kicked the bucket), I said that ELO was my number one bucket list band from the '70's. Unfortunately, when I looked at their touring history, I saw that they hadn't had a concert in Cleveland since 1981!!!!! WHAT?? So, when their Over & Out Tour was announced earlier this year and we saw that they had a show in Cleveland, we jumped on it!

Jeff Lynne, pictured here, is the only remaining original member. ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) was formed in 1970 in Birmingham, England. Jeff is 78 years old and wrote all their hits. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, ELO is known for their great melodies, epic song structures, and grand orchestrations, as well as adding disco and electronic elements into their unique form of rock and roll. They had 15 Top 20 hits. The set list for our night was 20 songs, aptly beginning with 'One More Time' and ending with 'Mr. Blue Sky' in the encore.

The graphics were 'out of this world' featuring their iconic spaceship. The 13-piece band included two cellists, a violinist, and two backup vocalists (one who appeared to be an opera singer). A fun bit of trivia: In the song, 'Don't Bring Me Down,' Jeff wrote in the German word GroB as a filler, but everyone who heard it thought he was singing Bruce, so he went with it! In a podcast I listened to, he said he didn't want to be 'the odd man out.'

I found this compilation of our concert that night. I don't expect you to watch the entire 30 minutes, but you can fast forward to catch a variety of the hits and I'm guessing some of you will be like me and know the words to every song. I got a little misty eyed at the end. My husband and I sing Mr. Blue Sky on many long, dark winter days in the CLE.

Thank you to these bands for over 50 years of great music!