Those who know me, know about my sick addiction for the soft, sticky hits of the late 70’s and early 80’s renamed “Yacht Rock”. I always had a deep seeded love for this music but until JD Ryznar, Hunter Stair, Dave Lyons and Lane Farnham dubbed this genre of music as Yacht Rock, I had never pulled it all together. When this music is played together in a sequence on on a channel (like on SiriusXM) it becomes pure gold. Before we explore the genre, we need to establish what my parameters are for this music:
- The music has to come from the years 1975-1983. There are a few exceptions to this rule but largely after 1983 the music became more pop and synthetic.
- It must be smooth sounding. Easy to say but hard to do but there is no need for synthesizers and yelling.
- The lyrics carry the song and tell the story. No exception to the rule.
- The songs are catchy and have tempo but ultimately must feel like a song you could listen to while riding the waves.
There are scales that rate and rank these songs (like Yacht or Nyacht) and do a great job of it but ultimately you should just enjoy the music and learn to love the genre. In Yacht Rock Rewindables, we will hit on my favourites and look forward to your comments.
I Keep Forgettin’ – Michael McDonald 1982
Years later, the Doobie Brothers have become the quintessential 70’s groove music and after its lead singer went solo in the early 80’s he turned out this Yacht Rock gem. The song hit #4 on the US Billboard charts that year and #5 on the Canadian charts and was a bona fide chart topper.
The song is amazing, hits the right groove and epitomizes who Michael McDonald was to become. It’s a song that tells the story of a man who refuses to accept that his relationship is over and the pain that it causes him. He added the song to his solo debut album If That’s What it Takes and his sister Maureen sings background vocals on the song. Enjoy it in its true sound from You Tube:
Tell us what you think here and add your suggestions for more Yacht Rock songs to be added to this channel. Follow along at www.reppinthe403.com
Marco