#4M: Under The Influence



It’s a new month and a new week!  The theme for today’s Monday’s Music Moves Me is ‘Free Choice’.  I think it’s time for another ‘Under the Influence’ post.

Our influencers can often be subtle, and can come from various sources.  Sometimes it’s environmental. Sometimes it’s from people we know.

I am the youngest of six children. I can tell you that each of my siblings has a different taste in the musical styles that they prefer.  My sister, Lennox, leaned more toward groups and artists such as Donovan, The Lettermen, and Winchester Cathedral. My brother, Dave, preferred CCR, Bread, and Buffalo Springfield.  Jim liked his music a little heavier such as Jimi Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, and Nazareth.  Murray prefers musicals, showtunes and christian music. Bob prefers AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Jethro Tull.   I, myself, have leanings toward what could be considered soft contemporary classic rock, although I like music from all genres - including death metal and Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  Debbie DogLady sums me up quite accurately when she says my musical tastes are eclectic.  I prefer to say that I’m well-rounded.

Recently, Jim Pike, the lead singer for The Lettermen passed away. It was when I was reading the article about his passing that I had an epiphany about how my sister came to really enjoy their music. 

See, when we were young (I was only a few months old - my sister was pre-teen) we moved from Montana to Idaho.  Idaho Falls, precisely, and then about 2 years later we moved to another smaller Idaho town.  If you know anything about small towns, everyone knows everyone’s business. And if a well-known band or artist were to come from Idaho, it was pretty much common knowledge.  Except for some reason, I had no clue that Jim Pike was from Idaho, let alone our side of the state. And while Jim was considerably older, I’m willing to bet that my sister possibly knew his daughter or his brother’s children. I can’t confirm this, of course, as she is no longer around to ask. 

As we are also approaching the anniversary of my sister’s passing (July 4, 1996), I’ve chosen The Lettermen as our ‘influencer’ today. 

I’ve prepared a setlist for you to enjoy.



What music has your siblings influenced you with? 

Today’s post is part of the Monday’s Music Moves Me blog hop, hosted by X-Mas Dolly, and co-hosted by JAmerican Spice, Stacy Uncorked, Curious as a Cathy. , and Ramblin with AM. Be sure to stop by the hosts and visit the other participants.  If you have a MUSIC* post, feel free to join in the fun! *sorry non-music posts are not permitted in this bloghop.







Comments

  1. Mary,

    I'm sorry that your sister is no longer here to share the mewsic with you but I know how painful it is to lose a sibling. I remember The Lettermen but hadn't heard the mews of Jim Pike's passing. That's not uncommon for me to miss these sort of announcements. Your playlist is totally dreamy and transports back to those early days of 60s when the mewsic still had a bit of that bee-bop 50s vibe. Thanks for sharing this tribute to your sister with the 4M gang. Have a safe and boogietastic week, my dear!

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    1. Thanks, Cathy!

      Some of the announcements fly under the radar. I would not of caught this one had it not been for one of my classmates sharing the announcement on FaceBook.

      Thanks for helping me get this one added to the BlogHop. Sometimes it just acts up on me and gives me errors.

      Have a great week!

      ~Mary

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  2. Your sister died too young and this is a nice tribute to her. My brother was/is big into Jimi Hendrix, Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Who etc... which did influence me and made me appreciate their music more since I was into classical, movie musicals, ABBA, ELO, etc...

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    1. Hi Birgit!

      She did pass far too young, but her memory and influence stays with me. Your brother sounds like he has great taste in music, and I'm glad that he helped influence your choice of sound.

      ~Mary

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  3. Very nice music tribute to your sister. My siblings are way older than me and we never and still don't have any kind of relationship. Something that I missed. Great influences there.

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    1. Thank you, Patrick!

      Sorry to hear that you don't have any kind of relationship with your older siblings. That makes me a little sad. My sister was 11 years older, and while it sometimes felt as though she was raised in 'part one' of the family, we were always close.

      ~Mary

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  4. Very appropriate song, sorry for your loss.

    I love all music, even some RAP (my son just told me was Rhythm and Poetry...who knew?) James Taylor and similar is my favorite.

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    1. Thank you, Joe!

      Who knew is right! Learning new things every day :)

      ~Mary

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  5. Ah, The Lettermen! Remarkable harmony in the tradition of The Four Aces, The Ames Brothers, and all those great vocal bands of the '50's.

    You probably already knew that Paul Revere spent a good portion of his life in Idaho...

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    1. Hi John!

      Yes, I knew about Paul Revere and the Raiders. Saw them perform a few times. The last time was a daytime show at the State Fair. Because it was during the day, the attendance was small - but that just made it a more intimate and better experience.

      ~Mary

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  6. I'm sorry your sister is no longer with you. This is a wonderful tribute song. <3

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    1. Thank you, Karen!

      It's actually a playlist of about 20 songs, but I felt the first song was appropriate.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      ~Mary

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  7. Beautiful tribute. The Letterman were good at covering songs as their own.

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    1. Hi Cathy!

      Yes, they did have some good covers as well as their own music.

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  8. I'm so sorry for the loss of your sister, Mary. This is a lovely tribute to her. ♥ Also sad to learn another talented musician has died. Missed that one, somehow! The Letterman have an impressive body of work. P.S. Thanks for the mention! Your musical knowledge is definitely well-rounded.

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    1. Thanks, Debbie!

      The news of Jim Pike's passing was very low on the radar. If it weren't for a local notice in the paper that a friend had shared, I wouldn't have known about it myself.

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  9. I am an only child so I will never know the joys and sorrows of having a sibling. One of my cousins saw the Lettermen while going to college and she was so thrilled by the experience. They certainly had their own special way of covering songs - I can't believe they covered Touch Me by the Doors - they certainly put their own spin on it.

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  10. Losing a sibling is difficult to go through. Too young too soon too much.

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