The Association
Live @ CMU
1969
The Association was a great group of singers who also wrote
some of the most beautiful love songs of the sixties. They were not per se a
rock band, more like a hip college folk band that was more Christy Minstrel
than Bob Dylan. It’s not to say that they wrote only schmaltzy folk pop for the
masses, looking for the big hits and a bigger payoff. They were both singers
and writers and were capable of writing lyrically compelling songs with layered
emotional themes. Some of their songs such as Cherish, Never My Love are
timeless. Their rudimentary musicianship was their weakest link but their
unison singing and layered three-tiered harmonies could make up for the lapses
in the instrumental department. There were exceptions – Terry Kirkman was a
multi-instrumentalist and musical leader and Brian Cole was a monster bassist
and his powerful playing was often up front in the mix. He was also the leader
of the band onstage. For better or worse, Cole did all the banter. At times he
seemed more like a fraternity dweeb than a philosopher stone. Just Google his
rap on Time Machine or Thurber’s The Last Flower intro to Get Together and
you’ll have an idea. It was performance art that was somewhat interesting if
not overwrought. The band consisted of Terry Kirkman (baritone, brass, reeds,
recorder, harmonica, percussion), Russ Giguere (baritone vocals, rhythm guitar,
percussion), Larry Ramos (tenor, lead guitar), Jim Yester (tenor, rhythm
guitar, keyboards), Ted Bluechel Jr. (baritone, drums) and Cole (bass, bass
guitar). Everybody in the band could sing lead as well as harmony. It was a notable strength, their vocals were
near flawless. They were inducted into the vocal group Hall of Fame in 2003. It
was the last time the original lineup would play together. The Association had
eight top forty hits, not too shabby and as of this new millennium three of the
100 most played songs played on the radio are Association songs - Cherish (5 million +), Never My Love (8
million +) and Windy (4 million +).
In 1969 The
Association was riding the crest of a wave. They enjoyed massive success and
appeared on all the right television shows from Ed Sullivan to the Smothers
Brothers. Their hip quotient was gaining some currency even though they were
decidedly un-cool for writing so many cloying love songs.
The CMU administration
was attempting to lure students to the campus through a new emphasis on collegiate
social activities. This included the development of a concert series featuring
some of the most popular bands in rock & roll including Neil Diamond, Blood
Sweat & Tears, Spanky & Our Gang, the Cryan Shames, The Turtles and The
Association. It was a social agenda that
spoke to the students interests in the late sixties. I was there for the music
and to impress my girlfriend and maybe get a smooch or two. Hell, it seemed
everyone was in love and making out – some heavy mashing, indeed.
The Association opened the show with The Time
It Is Today. The stage was dark as the first strains of the guitar moaned with a
minor chord as Kirkman’s flute offered contrasting accents. The lights
gradually appeared as the darkness faded. The night makes room for the rising
sun. Giguere sings the intro in unison with the band
Sunrise Sunset
What
you’re born with
Is
what you get
This is a clear-eyed treatise on youthful rebellion and
government misanthropy, as Giguere sings
They’re
lying, killing, and pushing their rules
They
tell me the prophets all are just fools
The song was relevant to our country’s divisiveness over the
Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Women’s Rights, Free Speech, and the Selective
Service System (mandatory military service – my number was 55)
Surprisingly (to me) Giguere was the most prominent vocalist
on this night, singing lead on seven songs.
Cole was the affable
MC and lead the audience through a “get to know you” exercise in which he
instructs us to look into the eyes of a neighbor, wish them peace and say “I
love you.” It was a hoot.
The next song was Along Comes Mary, the Association’s first
big monster hit. On record the musical dynamics were crisp and the vocals were clear
and upfront in the mix but the live version was plodding and the
instrumentation rudimentary. The vocals were husky, breathless and off time. It
seemed that Yester was incapable of shoe-horning the lyrics into the verse.
He’s a great singer but this was a train wreck.
Larry Ramos pure tenor hit the mark on Like Always though
Yester’s piano work was not as jazzy or intricate as the recorded version. The
background vocals were just a bit off and the intricate vocal sections were
difficult to duplicate. Each singer contributed to a particular part e.g., high
harmony, unison and low registers. It was very good and a nice stretch for the
band.
Kirkman and Ramos teamed up on a spectacular version of
Never My Love. The soaring harmonies were heavenly and Yester’s singing on the
bridge –“Never My Love” was spot on and his keyboard solo was the perfect punctuation to the verse.
Giguere did a great interpretation of Dylan’s One Too Many Mornings
and his intense bluesy take on Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You was ahead of its time.
The country funk of Blistered was a huge surprise. I loved the adult themes and
irreverence in the lyrics. He followed with an incredible take on his hit, Time
for Livin’. It was jazzed up in a cool syncopated arrangement that was faithful
to the recorded version. Once again
the backing vocals were an impressive blending of bass, baritone and tenor
voices – thanks to Clark Burroughs vocal arrangements!
I was looking forward to hearing their latest hit,
Everything That Touches You. It was a love anthem that transcended the moon
& june lyrics typically associated with teenagers. The lyrics were a
combination of wonder, yearning and the soulfulness of a deeply felt love. From
the first note I sensed that something was very wrong. The instrumentation was
off and the tempo was a mess. Cole kept the bass poppin’ a big riff but the other instruments didn’t fill in the
blanks. Musical spaces are good but there were definite outages – too many
spaces. The songs lost its fragile spark and momentum. I sat slack-jawed,
stunned. How could this great band fall apart so completely and ruin one of
their true musical masterpieces. I couldn’t speculate how it happened. It was
then I realized that the Association were a great vocal band but only adequate
musicians.
Jim Yester’s reading on No Fair At All was simply beautiful
and it helped the band recover its confidence and resolve. It is a simple song
with a verse/chorus structure and basic instrumentation. Yester’s pure tenor
soared over the music - a great performance. The song is about unexpectedly
falling in love with an old friend.
Ramos came back to sing
Are You Ready, a sweet little rocker, the heaviest tune of the night and a genuine mixture of
energy and craft. The show was self-righting, a cool homeostasis. They were
hitting on all the cylinders and living up to the hype.
The newly released Just About the Same had a Caribbean motif
with a shuffle beat, unison vocals and spectacular harmonies. It is a true
charmer about universal nature of our species. We are all the same despite our
differences. It is about living in peace and love.
Requiem For the Masses sounds like a Catholic Liturgy, a
song of faith or perhaps it’s a metaphor about war and death. Maybe it’s both.
It is written and sung by Terry Kirkman with the other five members singing
heavenly harmonies. It is a dialectical dilemma. It is a religious spiritual as
well as a form of social commentary. It was one of the best anti-war songs of
the sixties. It was a gutsy call to put it out in the first place as our
country was strictly divided between political factions. At any rate it’s a
song rare in its scope and depth – a masterpiece and the Association nailed
that night. The lyrics…
Mama Mama forget your pies Have
faith they won’t get cold
And turn your eyes to the
bloodshot sky
Your flag is flying full
At
half-mast for the matador
who turned his back to
please the crowd
And all fell before the bull
Six Man Band was a rare Association rocker with fuzz guitar
and a big back beat and it set the stage for the last two songs in the show.
They closed with two of their most popular songs Cherish and
Windy. The arrangements were true to the recorded versions. Kirkman’s lead vocal on Cherish had depth and
nuance while Giguere’s take on Windy was breezy and cool and the full range and
complicated harmonies from Yester, Ramos and Buechel were perfectly executed.
I left feeling that I experienced something special. I’ve
been a fan of those glorious Association pocket symphonies ever since.
In 1982 I attended a performance
in Flint (funded by the Mott Foundation) by the original band save for Brian Cole
who passed away years before. They sounded great and announced a new tour and new
recordings. The performed Walk Away Renee (Left Banke) that night and
eventually recorded it for an LP entitled 1995; A Little Bit More. They also
did a set list of their greatest hits. I was hoping they would perform a few
songs from their 1972 masterpiece - Waterbeds in Trinidad. It seemed unfair that it was so roundly
ignored. It proved to be the swan song of the original band. But those great
obscure songs remain - Come The Fall, Kicking The Gong Around, Silent Song
Through the Land, Darling Be Home Soon (Lovin’ Spoonful) and Snow Queen.
All those vintage Association Recordings are available through eBay, Amazon, Spotify and Zune.
Enjoy!
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