# The Strange Magic of: The Association



## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

The years roughly 1965-1968 were, in American pop music, a strange interlude of warm, mellow, optimistic, tuneful groups and songs--a time seemingly of good feeling and feeling good, laid back, groovy. Golden years, before the new assassinations, the war, the riots. Consider: Spanky & Our Gang, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Rascals, Love, The Fifth Dimension, The Mamas & The Papas--hit after hit, one following another. Was it the arrival of the Beatles that lifted us out of the gloom of the JFK assassination, that triggered this explosion of good vibrations? It was wonderful while it lasted. One of my super favorites from this period is The Association's wonderful masterpiece, _Cherish_. Here is a 1979 reprise of this soaring, ecstatic paean to the inaccessible loved one.


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## Kivimees (Feb 16, 2013)

Great group - sang as well as the Beach Boys.

My contribution:


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

The Association was a great group. I remember listening to their wonderful songs in the 60's, so not protest music or so not psychedelic music. I think that they were my first "Favorite Band". I still find their songs timeless.

I have a very large playlist (700-800) of songs on my iPhone/iPods that I easily named "A Lot of Songs". I put this group of songs on when I am doing something around the house or just want my own radio station playing. Whenever _Cherish_, _Everything That Touches You_, _Along Comes Mary_, _Windy_ , or a few other Association songs, pops up on the random playlist, I get a wonderfully nostalgic feeling that brings me back to such an innocent time of my youth.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

It's almost spooky how good this music is. The 1979 version of Cherish is perfect. I have to get a healthy dose of this music often. I started buying singles around 1970 at the age of 7 or so and so I was very tuned into the music of this time.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

What's interesting sometimes is that some of these artists even looked different, their demeanor and postures, like look at the bass player in this one:





Classics IV - Stormy


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

It was a golden age that will never be repeated. Wonderful that we have so many recordings of that era and a lot of video too.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Some of the greatest pop music of all time poured out of LA in the mid-late 60s. The Turtles, The Byrds, Sagittarius, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & the Papas, the Fifth Dimension - all produced beautiful harmonies and melodies to die for. It was pretty much an embarrassment of riches and the Association when they were at their best were up there with the best. 

Credit should also go to the producers, songwriters, hipsters and session musicians behind the scenes who made so much of it possible - Bones Howe, Curt Boettcher, Gary Usher, Jimmy Webb, the Wrecking Crew etc.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

When we add into the mix The Four Seasons and this group, The Left Banke, and then drop The Beatles in, it's clear that there is a powerful Zeitgeist at work here, with bands each triggering fresh work from one another. Is the Pretty Ballerina a close yet dissimilar relative of Eleanor Rigby?






And the Beach Boys and the Zombies--how could I forget??


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

What a great song _Stormy_ is. Dennis Yost definitely had a perfect voice for the type of pop music that was being produced during this era. Some of his songs are absolutely top of the line.



regenmusic said:


> What's interesting sometimes is that some of these artists even looked different, their demeanor and postures, like look at the bass player in this one:
> 
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## Phil loves classical (Feb 8, 2017)

Strange Magic said:


> When we add into the mix The Four Seasons and this group, The Left Banke, and then drop The Beatles in, it's clear that there is a powerful Zeitgeist at work here, with bands each triggering fresh work from one another. Is the Pretty Ballerina a close yet dissimilar relative of Eleanor Rigby?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Great song. Thanks, never heard them before, but I was always intrigued by the unconventional chords and keys, and this reminds me of one of my favourite groups, Love. I'm going to search out other songs by thus group.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Rach Man said:


> What a great song _Stormy_ is. Dennis Yost definitely had a perfect voice for the type of pop music that was being produced during this era. Some of his songs are absolutely top of the line.


Very good voice. I wonder did he go on to a career as a singer. Potential for another Neil Diamond / Glen Campbell type.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Florestan said:


> It was a golden age that will never be repeated. Wonderful that we have so many recordings of that era and a lot of video too.


I was fortunate to see/hear a few of them at their peak--Sopwith Camel, Lovin' Spoonful, Rascals, Turtles.

Twas a magical period that was cut too short by the heavier, but also good...Stones, Doors, BS&T, Chicago, Hendrix, etc.

To the topic at hand, "Windy's" my Association fave.


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

Phil loves classical said:


> Great song. Thanks, never heard them before, but I was always intrigued by the unconventional chords and keys, and this reminds me of one of my favourite groups, Love. I'm going to search out other songs by thus group.


One cannot say too much in praise of Love, a great favorite of mine. Robert Plant, as I recall, said Love was one of the key groups that Led Zep's personnel listened to during Love's heyday. Arthur Lee, a troubled but gifted genius.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Florestan said:


> Very good voice{Dennis Yost}. I wonder did he go on to a career as a singer. Potential for another Neil Diamond / Glen Campbell type.


Dennis Yost (65) obituary, NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/arts/music/10yost.html


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

With Mike Shapiro aka Mike Sharp, sax.






ARS version.






Dusty Springfield version.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

It's not really the style of this section to have little threads on one-hit wonders, but this could be a good thread where more of these favorites are posted.

I think this is one of the outstanding songs and performances of that time.





The Hollies - He ain't heavy, he's my brother (video/audio edited & restored) HQ/HD


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

I bought this album around 1990 and spun it a bunch of times. It was wonderful listening to something so out of time and therefore so utterly charming to enjoy. Here is also a rare video of them performing the title track.





Mercy - Love Can Make You Happy (Full Album) ((Stereo))





MERCY - "LOVE CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY" 1969 Highest Quality Stereo


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## Rach Man (Aug 2, 2016)

regenmusic said:


> It's not really the style of this section to have little threads on one-hit wonders, but this could be a good thread where more of these favorites are posted.
> 
> I think this is one of the outstanding songs and performances of that time.
> 
> ...


I think the Hollies had a lot of great hits. They were far from one-hit-wonders. I could pick a few. But take a listen to a great tune.


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## regenmusic (Oct 23, 2014)

Yes, I knew the Hollies weren't one-hit wonders, I meant to say bands that really wouldn't elicit much of a thread on this site.

Seems like some of the best stuff really does come in that realm where it almost sounds like it could be mid-60s yet can be released anytime up to around 1973. This is from 1971.





The Fortunes-Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again


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## Strange Magic (Sep 14, 2015)

IN resurrecting this Association thread, I found that--as in all things Rock and Pop--there is a specific named genre that their music falls into; in this case, Sunshine Pop. Well, as is clear from the replies, I am not alone in enjoying Sunshine Pop. But here is another Association tune that more than hints at the influence of Psychedelia creeping in, specifically the powerful magnetic force of The Byrds' _Eight Miles High_ in the guitar riff. Listen to _Six Man Band_.....


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## Room2201974 (Jan 23, 2018)

The Association on the Smothers Brothers doing the routine that opened Monterey Pop. Surprised no one has mentioned this song:






Awww, rats, I'm two days late with this myself!


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