Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
Tonight you’re mine, completely / You give your love so sweetly / Tonight the light of love is in your eyes / But will you love me tomorrow / Is this a lasting treasure / Or just a moment’s pleasure / Can I believe the magic in your sighs / Will you still love me tomorrow / Tonight with words unspoken / You say that I’m the only one/ But will my heart be broken / When the night meets the morning sun / I’d like to know that your love / Is a love I can be sure of / So tell me now and I won’t ask again / Will you still love me tomorrow
Today I’m celebrating love for a childhood friend. (Shit, I’m learning as I get older to hold those special friendships dear.) There was a day when I was carefree—I’d get home from school, lace up my Pro Keds, and head out. My spot; a pair of tucked away basketball courts located behind the 86th Street crosstown in Central Park. Yes, it was “schoolyard ballin,” New York City, ’70s style. Before Air Jordans and leather sneakers there was Connie Hawkins and Julius Erving (better known as “The Doc”).
Between games (as we called it, “run”) we played frisbee. Before we tossed “the disc” we rolled joints in ’em. In those days weed was a weed with TONS of seeds, so the frisbees had a duel function. Rolling papers, a quart of beer, and a basketball was all we needed. We didn’t really give a fuck about anything other than music. It was the age of the concerts and going to a rock show at age 14 in NYC in the 1970s was like venturing into JRR Tolkien’s Middle Earth. There was fun, beauty, and sometimes great danger.
A few years ago, four of us from the “courts” had a reunion lunch of sorts. We told stories and reminded each other of our wild and often hilarious past.
This set of music is dedicated to my closest friend of the four. We both settled down and planted roots in California and became dads. Fishing over the last decade has replaced basketball as my sport of choice. This week, I’ve tried to hold on to that precious “good time” feeling of the those days.
Here’s to the love of old friends, and those good times. For you Rando, let it roll.
The Idelic Hit of the Week: Gengahr – Burning Air
