Music Memories during my 3rd Year. From my 2nd Birthday on Wednesday, the 20th of February 1974, through to Wednesday, the 19th of February 1975
Terry Jacks
Seasons In The Sun
Charting in the year of 1974, on the 17th of March, is Terry Jacks with the single Seasons In The Sun.
A vivid memory…
…from watching footage of this song on TV and that deep bass intro, the whole thing at the time gave me the creeps.
This was mainly down to the chromakey effects which they overlaid on him at the televised beginning of the song, probably on Top of the Pops. The bass-riff felt ominous and the effects seemed something out of Doctor Who. The thing just gave me the shivers, and the song itself always brings back that feeling of uneasiness at first, but then Terry’s voice seems to keep the edge up with that effect on it.
Later on in my adolescence, I remember the other children at school singing the parody of the chorus…
“We had joy, we had fun, flicking bogies at the sun…”, not immature at all.
The song itself…
…was a re-interpretation of an original Belgian tune from 1961 named “Le Moribond” (or in English, “The Dying Man) performed by singer and actor Jacques Brel.
This was then interpreted…
…into English, by the American composer, singer/songwriter and poet Rod Mckuen, which was then first recorded by the folk/pop group The Kingston Trio.
At this juncture,..
…the narrative of the lyric behind the music, had stayed relatively the same. The tale of a man, dying from a broken heart, the reason for which is felt at the closing of the last verse (I won’t give it away, you’ll just have to listen to it).
By the time Terry had decided to record it, he changed that theme to make it far more personal. Re-writing the lyric and dedicating it to a close friend of his, who was at that time going through the ravages of Leukemia, it gave him that voice to plan for his own onward journey. In doing so, it made the song less moribund, and more of someone finding peace with the world as he prepares to leave it.
It’s all the more touching…
…when you realise this is all set at the dawn of a new year, as the world is waking up to a new spring, when the protagonist knows he will not be around to witness it happen, letting those close to him at the end know, that although he won’t be there in person, to remind them that he’ll still be there alongside them in spirit, living onwards through their eyes and in their hearts, living the joy and the fun, as the seasons carry on.
Now when I listen to it, with that opening bass that used to scare me, it now reverberates differently with each passing year.
The single…
…enters the chart at No.20 on the 23rd of March 1974, and by its second week will leap into the Top 3.
By the 6th of April, the single secures the No.1 position, and there it will stay for the duration of that month.
From there,..
…it will begin its descent from the 4th of May, when it drops back to No.3 once again, and it will eventually fall from the Top 10 after the 18th of that month.
The single will continue falling back until, after amassing 12 solid weeks, 4 of them at the very top of the chart, it drops away altogether after the 8th of June.
The “A” Side
The “B” Side
“TopPop” appearance.
Top Of The Pops / Pan’s People Performance.
Many thanks go to the following YouTube Channels for providing the chance to hear these songs once again.
Please show your appreciation by visiting their channels:
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