Circa ’60s

Thursday, January 13, 2022

_{(January’s “Wolf Moon” is Waxing Gibbous, will rise as month’s fullest moon on the 17th.)}

This morning, I’m steeped in rock ‘n roll, listening to music featuring Ronnie Spector. She was lead singer of The Ronettes, a 1060s vocal trio. They were a powerful trio who transformed girl-group music. One of their biggest hits, “Be My Baby”, is a best-example of early big-music producing.

Listen to them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSPpbOGnFgk&feature=emb_imp_woyt

Yesterday, this great singer died from cancer, at age 78. Her big voice, similar to that of Mama Cass, was correct. A pioneer, she transformed “girl-singing” in times when getting ahead wasn’t easy for for women in general, and much harder for women of color. She married her genius helper, the crazy music producer, Phil Spector. His creative backup sounds helped to make her a singing star. She paid a price of long personal abuse from him.

Early technology made The Music Business a fantastic, wonderful avenue of pursuit for talented young people. The scene wasn’t all-pretty, with entrepreneurs like Phil Spector moving things along, creating chaos.

Technologies continued to advance, bringing the personal computer, and more. Technological changes offering new creative avenues tempted talented youths. No longer was music the only potentially progressive path for promising individuals.

I grew up in times that brought new musical individualism and progressive technologies. Both still are powerful social factors. But technologies have and keep-continuing to affect us all.

It’s joyous, hearing the Ronettes. As evidenced by Ronnie’s story, the group’s sounds don’t represent “simpler times”. Instead, its sounds and success recall a hopeful era preceding the onset of highly-complex technology.

Dear Friends: Modern societies hope that ahead offers new-hope eras. Diana