MFD Not-So-Random Five #11

In which I select five songs from 1976-1985 based on an arbitrary theme. (Not to be confused with this blog's Random Five feature, a different exercise in arbitrariness). Today's theme: songs that include the word "autumn" in the title.

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1. "Autumn of Our Love" by Spyro Gyra (1980, MCA)
   I don't care much for the intro, but by the time Jay Becksenstein comes in with the melody about a minute in, I find myself losing myself in this beautiful ballad. The chorus has a great hook and will stay in my ear for days now.


2. "Autumn Changes" by Donna Summer. (1976, Casablanca)
   A deep cut from the Four Seasons of Love concept album. A little slower than Giorgio Moroder's preferred 120 bpm, this song has a great bass line but the steel drums are an odd choice for an "autumn" song. Not the best Summer cut, but it's hard to go wrong with '70s Summer/Moroder.
   
   
   


3. "Forever Autumn" by Justin Hayward (1978, Columbia)
   From the concept album Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds which I have not yet heard and not sure I ever will. But this song sure is a winner because it just sounds autumnal (if that makes any sense) and that's why I like it. It's also very unlike the disco music I was favoring at the time. This song reminds me of a trip my father and I took to watch the Cowboys play the Vikings in the very first non-Thanksgiving Thursday night NFL football game on October 26, 1978 in the now-demolished Texas Stadium. My father let me pick the radio station on the trip which was a bit unusual. This song came on and I got excited and tried to tell him about how it sounded like "autumn" and he rolled his eyes at me like I was a 12 year old boy talking out of his ass. And I was. The Vikings beat the Cowboys 21-10, but the bigger news is that I got to miss two days of school.
   
   
   


4. "Boys of Autumn" by David Roberts (1982, Elektra)
   This song reminds me more than a little of Joey Scarbury's "Believe It or Not" and I mean that as a compliment. To be honest, I've liked the whole All Dressed Up album since I first ran across it on the Blue Desert website. Maybe this Canadian single was released a couple of years too late? Lots of "yacht rock" superstars on this one, including Jay Graydon, Jeff & Mike Pocaro, Steve Lukather, etc. Heck, it even rates an impressive 87.88 on the over at the Yacht or Nyacht website.


5. "Calling Captain Autumn" by Haircut 100 (1982, Arista)
   The closing track from one of my all-time favorite albums, Pelican West. Nick Heyward spews his usual gibberish* over a funky bass line, scratching guitar, Latin percussion, and a fantastic horn section. Includes a great breakdown section and not one but two sax solos. In addition to numerous live recordings, I've found three studio versions: the 3:58 album version, a 4:30 promo version, and a sweet 6:00 12" remix. I could listen to this feelgood tune all day long and just might.

*my best guess at the gibberish:

What's the cricket score today?

Give a little breath, quarantine
B.C.G. might never might rain
Bop bop boo bop ba bop bop boo bop
Ba bop bop boo bop ba bop bop boo bop

What is is now? Hoffman style
What a great film, what a great weather style
Bop bop boo bop ba bop bop boo bop
Ba bop bop boo bop ba bop bop boo bop

Calling Captain Autumn

When will I die? When can I cry?
F.B.G. my T.B.E. be be boh bah be boo bibbido
Bah be bahbbidoh bah bah bah

Give a little dream, quarantine
What a great film, what a great weather style
Bop bop boo bop ba bop bop boo bop
Ba bop bop boo bop ba bop bop boo bop

Calling Captain
Calling Captain
Calling Captain Action

Calling captain calling
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah

etc.