Posted on 06/22/2019 6:36:31 PM PDT by SamAdams76
The Yacht Rock playlist is rapidly expanding over at the juggernaut Yacht Rock channel (ch. 70) on Sirius/XM, which is said by some to be the most listened to channel on the satellite radio network. Yacht Rock is a relatively newly coined genre of music that is used to describe a breezy, smooth set of pop songs - mostly recorded between the years of 1976-1984 - that are conducive to listen to while on a boat and not just yachts, but schooners, skiffs, catamarans and sailboats. Pontoon boats, not so much (refer to country music). We are talking upscale boating here. Men in white pants, captain hats, blue blazers and sockless in $100 Sperry boat shoes - and some sort of umbrella drink at hand.
Once content to stick to a rather tight playlist heavy on Gerry Rafferty, Steely Dan and Christopher Cross, the channel has been rapidly broadening its horizons. For example, “Oriental Gate” by the Sanford Townshend Band was recently heard, a very deep track from the one-hit band from Alabama (“Smoke From A Distant Fire).
Another frequently played song on the Yacht Rock channel is “Dreadlock Holiday” by 10cc. It really felt out of place when I first hear it but now I sort of get it.
Perhaps the most iconic Yacht Rock song is “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, who is still alive today (at least as of the time of this writing). This song was a massive hit during the summer of 1980 - which is considered by most to be the peak of the Yacht Rock era. This song will always remind me of Ronald Reagan as this song had just reached the #1 slot on Billboard’s Hot 100 just as a very youthful looking Reagan was giving his general election kickoff speech on Labor Day weekend.
Reagan was still considered the underdog most of that summer but after an epic nomination speech at the Republican Convention, Reagan had some serious momentum and thus made the surprise decision to make his first general election speech at Liberty State Park in deep-blue New Jersey with a stunning backdrop of the nearly Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. I highly recommend watching the speech in the link provided here. It was clear after this speech that Jimmy Carter had pretty much no chance at all. Also, in the last few minutes of the speech, you can see some boats plying the waters behind him. Quite possible that if you were onboard one of those boats, the strains of “Sailing” by Christopher Cross would have been heard that late-summer afternoon.
Very likely that as the attendees at Reagan’s speech were heading home to the suburbs, that at least one of them ran over a squirrel. Perhaps even Reagan’s motorcade itself ran over a squirrel. It is estimated that over 41 million squirrels are run over by cars every year. What this means is that pretty much everybody that ever had a driver’s license ran over a squirrel at least once. I can count at least a half dozen times that I, myself, ran over a squirrel.
Not intentionally, of course. Though I venture to say that if I tried intentionally to run over squirrels, it’s likely I’d never have run over a squirrel at all. However, I would have definitely have sideswiped other cars or gone off the road a few times in making the effort. It seems that squirrels just have a way of getting under the wheels of a car that has no intention of hitting them. Yet if you tried to hit them, they apparently take evasive maneuvers and somehow get out of the way.
Speaking of driver’s licenses, they never seem to ask for them these days when you buy alcohol at a supermarket. Instead, they just ask you for your birthdate. Not sure when this trend started but it seems rather odd to me as they never ask you to “prove” the birthdate that you give them. They just accept whatever you tell them. I don’t think they even do the calculation on whether or not you are 21. You could probably tell them May 21, 2004 and they will just mindlessly ring up the sale.
For some reason, I just thought of Roger Clemens, the baseball pitcher. Just went to Google to see if he is still alive and yes, he is still alive. Haven’t thought of Roger Clemens in years. He had two 20-strikeout games. Ties a major league record as nobody has ever gotten 21 or more. I figure it will happen someday. Anyway, Clemens used to be highly regarded but like Pete Rose and David Dougherty, his reputation has really taken a tumble since he retired from the game due to various scandals and some real dick-head behavior.
Finally read the book “Planet of the Ape” and was surprised to find it had some distinct differences from the film version. Definitely a good read and in my opinion, better than the movie.
I can’t afford a yacht, but I can afford to listen to yacht rock.
The park Bitterman, you know how I love the park...
If it aint \M/metal\M/ its crap!
Nothing really rocks about any of that stuff. I call it soft Pop.
Same here.
I have zero interest in owning anything that floats. Boats are holes in the water money gets thrown into.
I know a guy who sounds almost like the guy who does the bumpers for Yacht Rock.
Ironically, the fellow I know is one biggest cheapskates around.
“Christopher Cross, who is still alive today”
How is that possible? 1980 was like the time of the pharohs right?
s/
A great ancient era.
If it floats, flies or fxxxs; rent don’t own.
Sage wisdom.
Those are pretty funny.
Those bumpers are the main reason I listen to Yacht Rock.
I sometimes call the sound alike I know “Yacht Rock”. He thinks it’s funny.
He’s too stingy for springing for XM.
Hollywood Vampires: As Bad As I Am
I love Yacht Rock but they do need to expand their play list.
What in the Wild, Wild World
Of Sports going on Here?
I’m trying to figure out What movie the song was in,,,
Then ,Whamm ,,,,
I’m dodging SQUIRRELS???
WTH ?
,,,between the Moon and New York is stuck in my head.
So Where can I get a pair
of those Shoes?
Or is this some faceless
Blog that Humble is
Going to slam.
Wait ,where was I?
Yacht Rock,
Such a Thing?
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