If you follow along with my Njmonthly.com column, you'd have read a piece I wrote about The Silence, a local band making big inroads on the music scene.
If not, I'll forgive you -- just click here to read the story.
The band has been kind enough to give me a few copies of their new album, Outside World, for a giveaway. It's a great record, and you might have heard bits and pieces on WXPN or broadcasts of Phillies games.
The rules to win a free copy? Simple. In the comments below, tell us what song and/or artist defines your experience of the Jersey Shore, and WHY. No restrictions on that artists or song, either -- just keep your answer PG (remember, the Marples are reading).
I'll take comments and answers until Friday at 5pm. Then the guys in the band will pick their two favorites, which I'll reveal next Monday, and then mail the winners a free CD.
I thought about making it a requirement that you send this link to five friends, and they send it to five friends, but there's enough chain emails going around, yes?
Got it? Good. Now get commenting!
9 comments:
boys of summer-don henley
Easily "Summertime" by Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. First, the title speaks for itself. Second, it's Will Smith's most compelling rap. "The smell from the grill sparks up nostalgia" and "the old folks dance at the family reunion" ... stuff like that. Brought back my own memories of being a kid, going to the Jersey shore for vacation, etc. There are tons of songs that remind of us summer, because of timing. This song actually evokes the feelings of summer. I listen to it, I smell the grill (alas, I don't eat red meat anymore, so the smell of a grill sorta grosses me out. But that's besides the point ...)
The problem is I associate Maloney's in Margate (RIP) with my earliest and best shore experiences and that means the late 90s/ early 2000s songs provided the soundtrack - whether it be "Little Black Backpack" "My Own Worst Enemy" or "What's My Age Again?" NOTE: EVERY shore band from AC to Wildwood plays at least one of the above songs in their repertoire -more likely 2.
But if I had to settle on one - it would be "Summer" by War (the long version). The AC radio stations used to play it quite a bit and in the lyrics they mention "Atlantic City." This could be the most underrated summer song out there for sipping a cocktail to while relaxing on the deck.
I have several songs that remind of vacation at the Jersey shore, but the one I'm always singing aloud and listening to on the day we're leaving for our Wildwood Crest vacation is "Under the Boardwalk" by the Drifters...I know, it's an Oldie, but Goodie! my 2nd choice is "Pocketful of Sunshine" by Natasha Bedingfield and my 3rd choice is "Soak up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow :) ok I will stop now, but I have more...
There are lots of songs, it is so tough to pick. All Summer Long by Kid rock seemed to play in every place I walked into on the boardwalks last summer and since I had such a good time it built an association to the fun at the shore. My small Daughter keeps singing Wildwood Days as she can not get enough of that beach. There are a good load of Bruce Springsteen and John Bonjovi songs that scream Jersey Shore in my mind but I think I will settle on the instrumental song “Wipe Out” by the Safaris as my answer. That song was out long before I was born and it is driven into the depth of my unconscious mind to represent over the top summer beach fun. Show me the beach on a hot summer’s day and it sets of a speedy insane drummer between my ears pounding out the drum solo to this song.
Summer flashback song- Dust in the Wind by Kansas. My boyfriend (now husband) worked at Hunt's Pier in Wildwood and this song played all day long at the ride he "managed" in 1978! When I hear that song, I picture him in his pier uniform- tall, blond, and tan. The blond hair is now gray- but he's still very handsome :)
It has to be "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge, because my wife and her three sisters started the family Jersey Shore tradition on 80th Street on Seven Mile Island in 1979 to the strains of that song. It culminated that year in a toga party arranged by my niece. We now have thirty years of shore summers (at two weeks a pop for most of those years, that's more than a solid year at the shore) to share the memories of among mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. Plus, the inspiration of that song probably (?) caused my niece to get her PHD in bird mating songs.
"On the Way to Cape May"
It's the perfect song to sing when you've packed up the car, understand that the boogie boards and beach chairs won't fall off over 45 mph, and are heading southeast through the Pine Barrens..."heading south along the Jersey Shore."
Hey guys! The winner has been announced at http://downtheshorewithjen.blogspot.com/2009/06/and-winner-is.html
Post a Comment