Song of The Week - 17

Well, this little feature of mine has been gone for several weeks. It is now making a comeback.

The year was 1977 and things were changing. The eight-track tape player for cars was rapidly being replaced by the new cassette tape player. There was another weird phenomenon in the air, one I didn't understand personally, called disco. You see, I was a rock and roll girl back then and did not like or even "get" disco.

I grew up in a rather small town and there was really nothing to do if you were a teenager that was not into the roller rink or into typical school activities. The one constant during my teen years, were concerts, and that is what my circle of friends did for fun, besides parties. In my case, my parents had no problem with me going to concerts yet weren't so keen on my going to parties.

Of the many bands I saw at the local venue, The Swing Auditorium, one will always remain with me. This band was touring to promote their upcoming new album. This was an album that was rare as it did not contain one bad song. My friends and I went to the concert. It was fabulous. During this tour, a plane carrying some of the band members crashed, killing the lead singer, a guitarist and one of the back-up singers. The band was Lynyrd Syknyrd. The album and tour was called Street Survivors. The band members that were tragically lost were Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines and Cassie Gaines.

The concert was so good, the songs were great, but shortly after we saw them, we learned the sad news of the plane crash. Now, some said it was eerily prophetic, but, whatever, it was eerie nonetheless. The Street Survivors album cover was a picture of the band with flames behind them, and then some of the band members lose their lives in a plane crash.

I had the eight-track tape of Street Survivors, but my more modern fabulous BF, had the cassette tape! She had this new device in her blue Ford Pinto! After the plane crash, the record label recalled the albums from the stores, and it was replaced with a similar cover, just sans the flames. BFF had the cassette with the flames. One day when she was at work, the Street Survivors cassette in it's case on the front seat, her little Ford Pinto was broken into. The cassette case was pulled apart and the cassette, itself, on the seat, as was the case. The sleeve with that picture of the band appearing to be walking through flames, was gone! Someone saw the cassette in her car and broke in and stole only that picture.

I find it hard to believe that was almost 33 years ago. As I said, to me, there was not a bad song on that album and this was surely one of my favorite songs, and still is. Enjoy.