"Memories Are Made Of These..."

As I ran errands this morning, I popped in an ol' cd favorite of mine. The Greatest Hit(s) of sorts from a '70's band named Orleans. Many of you perhaps have never heard of them, but they had two monster hits- 'Dance With Me" and "Still The One". While I tend to listen to this cd often enough, today a flood of memories overwhelmed me as I was driving- all inspired by these songs.I remembered that my father and I were at Sam Goody's (remember them?) at the Woodbridge Mall shopping together, which we didn't do all that often (I almost remember each time we ever did go!). When we walked into the record store, my father-who was a working musician for 40 years- would often search for "fake books" and music sheets, while I would flip through the latest "33 LP's" and the new fad- 8 track tapes. All the while, an album was playing over the loudspeaker system in the store. At one point, Dad came up to me and asked me if I knew who was singing, and I didn't. Together, we walked to the counter and inquired there, and we were given the latest Orleans album called "Wakin' and Dreaming". He bought the album, and I immediately began playing it on my phonograph stereo system. I don't think he ever heard it after I got a hold of it.That one album, purchased in the mid-70's, sort of became the soundtrack of my life for the next 20 years or so. Listening to "If I Don't Have You" while kissing Karen Episcopia in her basement- until we were caught by her Dad...listening to the crisp harmonies of the back-up singer, Linda Ronstadt. I learned the art of singing harmonies almost entirely through this one cut- as well as The Righteous Brothers and the Beatles...Singing "Golden State Of Mind" upon driving into California for the first time- "California, you're a beauty...an apparition to me now...Palm trees silhouetted against the sunset sky, air so rich and tender it almost makes me cry-y-y-y..."Humming "Spring Fever" every first day of spring, and everytime someone claims to HAVE spring fever- "I got Spring Fever..they say that it go to your head...Spring Fever...I get dizzy just lying in bed..."Dancing to 'Reach", which made the charts (peaking at about #27), and enjoying this new rock and bluegrass and church choir-type sound. Unique- haven't heard anything like it since...Hearing "Still The One" for the first time and knowing- actually KNOWING, at 16 years of age, that this song was destined to be a hit on the then-AM rock stations. I knew this, even though I didn't particularly like the song! I thought- that's cool- people will by the album and make hits out of these other songs. It didn't happen. Orleans eventually faded away. John and Johanna Hall are still married, I think, and John was in local politics in Upstate New York, last I heard, and is now an elected U.S. Representative (D-NY) Larry and Lance Hoppen went on to play with other less successful bands, and recently started another "Orleans" without John Hall. Wells Kelly- the hilarious, fun-loving party monster of a drummer, died suddenly while on tour with Meat Loaf, so they have had many drummers since. This band was Journey- lite, but for some reason, theirs tunes resonanted to me on a very deep level. No- they weren't the Stones, or Zeppelin or Bruce Springsteen. They were just Orleans. I've tried many times over the years to get others hooked on the sound by sharing the tapes and cd's I made of their music. I always thought that if I fronted a band, I wanted it to be similar sounding, as no one else sounded like them, not really. That's the story of Orleans and how it was born in a record store in Woodbridge, and travelled to New York, Georgia, Arizona and California. They are now on my Zune and I will listened to them this morning while floating in the pool, still wishing I was in a band...I'm interested in any other similar stories you friends may have of how a record or album affected YOUR life., and the fond or distinctive memories you have when listening to them. Please add you story in the comments, if you have one!