a microphone before they went on so I ran and hid offstage. With a little bit of promotion they could have been big. Willie Nelson had moved to Austin. ZZ Top was just taking off? That was strike two. You know what that means?"
"No."
"I only got one strike left. I really want to get into music in some way, shape or form. I'm going to be 30 pretty soon, over the hill."
"Man, there are people doing music until the day they die."
"Well, I want to do it for a living, like you. Right now."
"Not everyone is meant to be a musician."
"You got that right So why don't you let me manage you? I'll book you into churches. We can sell cassette tapes of your songs and?"
"I don't want to make a living by performing."
"What? You got a wife and kids to support. The real money is in making hit albums."
"I know. But the studio keeps us going and pays the bills. Ever hear of Keith Green?"
"No."
"He's a Christian musician who gave away his records free at concerts and through the mail to people who couldn't afford them."
"No way. You'd just get ripped off for sure."
"Maybe."
"Never heard of anyone giving away music for free. Unreal."
"What you were saying about the end coming soon, you believe that?"
"All those Bible prophecy experts say so."
"I know. But maybe you just latch onto it to get out of being responsible."
"Me? Naah."
"Yes, you. You're willing to dodge planning long range just so that you can live for today."
"Oh well. Here today, gone tomorrow like they say. If I can't get hooked up in some kind of business with you, I won't be able to write this trip off my taxes. Say, I know. Bet you and your family could use some of the products that I'm a distributor for. I'll show you and your wife the catalog. Really quality stuff."
Dave groaned. "You, too. Let me guess the name?" When Sam told him, Dave paused. "Haven't heard of that one before."
"Listen. They have vitamins, herbs, minerals. Just think how healthy your family will be."
"And how wealthy you'll be."
"There you go. Maybe I can bring you on board. It's multi-level and you could get all the people who use your studio to sell the products, too."
"Let me think about it. Anyway, that girlfriend of yours, the way you talked about her earlier, she sounds perfect for you."
"I don't know. She scares me."
"Why?"
"With all her talk about settling down. She says she loves me but when I tell her to prove it with a little fun in bed she gets bent out of shape."
"If you start thinking of her needs first maybe she would ?"
"I do. I told her all her physical needs would be met and ?"
"You're hopeless."
"That's what she says."
The traffic finally began to thin just before Dave exited the freeway and drove the last mile to his modest house. As they pulled into the dirt driveway Sam grabbed Dave's arm.
"I know tomorrow's Sunday and you're probably going to church."
"Yeah."
"Mind if I bail on you? I just?"
"It's okay. You can hang out at home, sleep in, whatever."
"Thanks, man."
Nancy soon had sandwiches, salad and soup ready, and the family and their guest sat around the large oak table that Dave had made during the lulls of his business. Sam started to reach for a sandwich when he noticed everyone else's head was bowed. He quickly drew his hand back as Dave prayed.
"Thank you, Lord, that I can be together with Sam again after so long. Please bless this food for our bodies that we might serve you."
"Amen." Nancy and the two children chimed in.
"Amen." Dave added awkwardly. "Good prayer, Dave. Next time I'll pray like we used to in Boy Scouts: 'Good food, good meat. Good God, let's eat.' Man, I'm starved."
"Told you we should have stopped."
"You haven't eaten since you landed?" Nancy asked. "You must be starved."
"Sort of. They didn't have too much on the plane. Just some snacks." Sam bit into the sandwich and started slurping his soup. This caused the children to stare at him.
"Sorry. My dad told me that in Japan if you don't slurp the soup, it means you don't like it. He was there after the war."
"Grandpa said that it's bad manners," explained Dave Jr.
"Grandpa? I knew your grandpa before you were born. Great guy. Did your dad ever tell about the time he caught us?"
A swift kick from Dave Sr. silenced the tale and its bearer.
"Hope you don't mind the simple meal. We eat our big meal at noon," explained Nancy. "Seems like we're the hungriest then, especially me and the baby." She patted the small one protruding beneath her dress.
Sam dropped his sandwich. "There's another one in the oven?" He turned toward Dave. "You become a Catholic?"
"No." Dave laughed.
"A Mormon?"
"No." Nancy joined in her husband's laughter.
"Well, they're the only ones having more than two kids anymore. What are you?"
"Just Christians," Dave kept laughing.
"Oh, okay." Sam shrugged.
The meal was the most enjoyable one for Sam in years. He rarely saw his family and had forgotten what a pleasure eating with good company can be. Afterwards he took a tour of the recording studio and its bedroom that would be his for the next two nights. While Nancy put the children to bed, Dave and Sam lounged in the recording studio's comfortable chairs.
"Say, I know!" Sam suddenly jumped to his feet.
"What?"
"Let's play top 100."
"Top 100? What's that?"
"Something we'd do when I was in the Army. We'd sit around smoking bowls of hash and drinking German beer and then tell each other our top 100 albums or songs of all time."
"I don't know. I'm pretty tired."
"Oh, come on. I'm not going to make you smoke dope or drink!"
"I can't think too well. I've been up since six this morning. How about if we do the top 10?"
"Top 10? That's too hard!
"Okay, okay. The top 10 albums excluding any by The Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd, The Moody Blues, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles or The Band."
"Hmm. You just knocked off about 40 or 50 of my top 100. But it's still too hard."
"Okay. Our top 10 from 1967 to 1977."
"You just eliminated another 20 or 30 of mine. Okay. You're on. Here's my top 10 albums from 1967 to 1977. Cheap Thrills by Janis Joplin and Big Brother, It's a Beautiful Day's first album, Sailor by the Steve Miller Band?"
"Three of your top 10 are already from groups who formed in the San Francisco Bay Area?"
"You're the one who made it hard. Okay, number four is Lynyrd Skynyrd's first album, John Barleycorn Must Die by Traffic, What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, Greatest Hits by the Marshall Tucker Band, Retrospective by Buffalo Springfield, The Family That Plays Together by Spirit and Wheels of Fire by Cream."
Dave started to get up from his chair. "I can't beat that top 10! See you in the morning?" but Sam jumped up and knocked him back into the chair.
"If you don't want to be snoring during the pastor's sermon tomorrow morning cause I kept you here all night, you better play the game!"
"Okay. You win. Lazarus and Fool's Paradise by Lazarus."
"Never heard of them. And who said you could have two albums from the same artist?"
"Who said you couldn't? Rockfish Crossing and Bareback Rider by Mason Proffitt."
"I've seen their albums in the store, but never heard them. They that good?"
"I think so. Number five is James Taylor's Greatest Hits. Then Rocking Chair and Sailboat by Jonathan Edwards."
"Who the hell is Jonathan Edwards?"
"Remember Sunshine?"
"How much d
oes it cost? I'll?"
"Buy it" Sam finished the lyric. "Yeah, I remember."
"You have three left and I better know who you're talking about."
"Whoa, dude. Stop changing the rules."
"I've never played with someone who purposely names the littlest known albums of all time!"
"Okay. Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons."
"That's better. Even if people don't know who he was, they've probably heard someone else doing one of his songs. Wasn't it great how his friends stole his body and cremated it in Joshua Tree National Park?"
"Link Wray by Link Wray and Bobby Whitlock by Bobby Whitlock."
"Just have to rub it in, don't you? Who are the last two?"
Exhausted, Dave staggered to his feet and turned on a tape recorder. "Remember the TV show Rawhide? Link Wray did a song called Rawhide on one of his early albums. Whitlock was the keyboardist for Clapton's Derek and the Dominos band."
"Oh. Yeah, right."
"Gotta go to sleep. This tape has about three hours of music, including some of my top 10. How come you're not tired yet?"
"Well, I slept some on the plane. Then while I was waiting for you at the airport I drank some colas."
"And iced tea for dinner and coffee afterwards. Man, no wonder you're wired."
"It's cool. I'll get to stay awake for the whole tape."
"Probably. Good night."
"Good night."
Sam only heard two hours of the tape because the music overpowered the caffeine so he could relax and doze off. But not before he prayed a kind of prayer he hadn't prayed since childhood. A prayer of thanksgiving instead of his usual whining that demanded something from God. As he drifted into sleep he said, "Thank you, God, for a friend like Dave."
It took both David Jr. and Anita to wake Sam up for brunch the next morning. They patiently waited outside as he dressed and then each grabbed a hand to guide their guest to the house. The first glass of orange juice and cup of coffee opened his eyes halfway.
"What time is it?"
"Ten."
"So when's church?"
"We went to the early service at eight."
"Great. Cause I'm taking you to dizzy land!"
"Dizzy land? What's that?"
"Shoot. Your grandpa took Dave and me there before you were born."
"He means the place with the submarine and monorail rides."
The two children jumped up and began dancing.
"I'm going on the toad wild ride!" David Jr. Hollered.
"I'm going back to shoot the pirates that scared you last time!" Anita assured her brother.
"And I'm going to fly the flying saucers!" Sam joined the celebration.
"Did your dad ever tell you about the aliens we saw on The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone?"
Nancy smiled. "I'll pass. I need a nap."
"Well, that leaves us four. Eat up and let's get going."
Just before the four set off toward Anaheim, Dave pulled Sam aside.
"Thanks, Sam. The kids have been bummed out by their Grandpa's death. This will help."
"My treat. Gives us time to talk, your wife time to relax and the kids time to be kids."
Nine hours later Sam was still talking nonstop as the children slept in the backseat on the way home from the place where Dave and Sam had gotten lost for hours almost two decades earlier.
"Haven't had this much fun since the concerts I went to when I was in high school."
"Who'd you see?"
"Well, one time it was The Turtles, The Buckinghams, Tommy James and the Shondells, Brian Hyland and the Jokers, The Blues Magoos, the Royal Guardsmen, The Electric Prunes, and The Casinos. Lou Christie was headlining. All for $2."
"How long did it last?"
"About three hours. Most groups would sing only three songs. The headliner would do more. The lineups at those shows were crazy. One time The Who was one of the warm-up groups and Herman's Hermits headlined. A lot of times some warm-up groups were better than the headliners. I saw the Cyrkle sing Help and I Get Around. If you closed your eyes you could have sworn it was The Beatles followed by The Beach Boys. They closed their set with Red Rubber Ball."
"Yes, I?"
"Think it's going to be ?" Sam, off-key as usual, joined Dave as the two sung as much of the lyrics as they could remember. "Those were the days, man. I miss the Top 40 hits of the Sixties."
"Yeah. It was different all right. A lot more innocent."
"Heh heh. You can't fall asleep now. You have to drive. We're going to play name that band!"
"Oh, no. Is this like your Top 100 game last night?"
"This is a lot easier. I name the song and you have to name the group."
"Okay. Just as long as you don't want to do something like this late tonight."
"Somebody to Love."
"Jefferson Airplane."
"Right. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood."
"The Animals."
"Time in a Bottle."
"Jim Croce."
"Wouldn't It Be Nice?"
"The Beach Boys."
"Darling If."
"Spirit."
"Born to Be Wild."
"Steppenwolf."
"You know when my family and I went cross country on the way to Travis Air Force Base in California to fly on to my dad's new assignment overseas, it didn't matter what part of the country we stopped in, that song was on the radio."
"Next song?" Dave was beginning to enjoy the game.
"Just Dropped In."
"The First Edition."
"For a bonus point, who was the lead singer?"
"Kenny Rogers."
"Sugar Shack."
"The Fireballs."
"Hit the Road, Jack."
"Ray Charles."
"Come See About Me."
"The Supremes."
"Bonk! Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels."
"The Supremes did it first."
"Okay. If you say so. Let's see, how about Spirit in the Sky?"
"Norman Greenbaum."
"Are you Ready?"
"P G & E."
"Do You Know What I Mean?"
"Lee Michaels."
"I'd Love the Change the World."
"Ten Years After."
"Cinnamon Girl. The singer is from Canada and was with Steven?"
"Neil Young."
"This guy's good, doesn't even need clues. We Ain't Got Nothing Yet."
"Blues Magoos."
"I Had Too Much to Dream."
"Electric Prunes."
"Pride of Man."
"Quicksilver Messenger Service."
"Evil Ways."
"Santana."
"Barefoot in Baltimore."
"I don't know."
"They also did Incense and Peppermints."
"Strawberry Alarm Clock."
"Time Has Come Today."
"Chambers Brothers."
"Love the One You're With."
"Stephen Stills."
"Sit Down, I Think I Love You. Try to name the first group that did it."
"Buffalo Springfield."
"My Girl."
"The Temptations."
"Can't Seem to Make You Mine."
"The Seeds."
"Cut Across Shorty."
"Rod Stewart and the Faces."
"In-a-Gadda-Da-Vida."
"Iron Butterfly."
"Cry Like A Baby."
"The Box Tops."
"96 Tears."
"? and the Mysterious."
"Just Walk Away, Renee."
"The Left Banke."
"Go Now."
"The Moody Blues."
"Ripple."
"Grateful Dead."
"I've Been Lonely Too Long."
"Young Rascals."
"Piece of My Heart."
"Janis Joplin and Big Brothers and the Holding Company."
"Tell Her No."
"The Zombies."
"Hold Your Head Up."
"A
rgent."
"So Tired of Waiting."
"The Kinks."
"We can work It Out."
"The Beatles."
"Walk Away."
"James Gang."
"I Who Have Nothing."
"Tom Jones."
"To Love Somebody."
"Bee Gees."
"Never My Love."
"The Association."
"Dedicated to the One I Love."
"Mamas and the Papas."
"This Is a Man's World."
"James Brown."
"You Are the Sunshine of My Life."
"Stevie Wonder."
"Deserted Cities of the Heart."
"Cream."
"These Eyes."
"Guess Who."
"Fever."
"The McCoys."
"Frankenstein."
"Edgar Winter."
"Still Alive and Well."
"Johnny Winter."
"I saw him at the Fillmore West. Rick Derringer was the other guitarist. They would try to outdo each other on the solos like a couple of gunslingers. Bill Graham put on the best shows: three groups, 4 or 5 hours of music for only $3.75."
"Ride, Captain, Ride."
"Blues Image."
"Leaving on a Jet Plane."
"Peter, Paul and Mary."
"Crystal Blue Persuasion"
"Tommy James and the Shondells."
"Do Wah Diddy."
"Manfred Mann."
"Substitute."
"The Who."
"Wedding Bell Blues."
"Fifth Dimension."
"Talk Talk."
"Music Machine."
"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet."
"Bachman Turner Overdrive."
"Pretty Woman."
"Roy Orbison."
"Ring of Fire."
"Johnny Cash."
"Sundown."
"Gordon Lightfoot."
"If I Could Only Win Your Love."
"A bunch of people. Emmylou Harris?"
"Yeah. It Ain't Me, Babe."
"Bob Dylan."
"Surf City."
"Jan and Dean."
"Heard it Through the Grapevine."
"Creedence Clearwater Revival."
"Bonnnnk! Marvin Gaye did it first. How's my bonnnk? Just like the game shows on TV, huh?"
"The first time you said I was wrong because I gave the group who did the song first, but you wanted the group who covered it later. Make up your mind."
"Okay, okay. The Weight."
"The Band."
"She."
"Gram Parsons."
"Respect Yourself."
"The Staple Singers."
"For the Love of Money."
"The O'Jays."
"Black Is Black."
"Los Bravos."
"I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight."
"Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart."
"Live for Today."
"Grass Roots."
"If I Were a Carpenter."
"Bobby Darin."
"I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know."
"Blood, Sweet and Tears."
"Kicks."
"Paul Revere and the Raiders."
"Oh, Well."
"Fleetwood Mac."
"Tuesday's Gone."
"Lynyrd Skynyrd."
"Why Can't We Be Friends?"
"War."
"I Love You."
"The People."
"Dock of the Bay."
"Otis Redding."
"The Thrill Is Gone."
"BB King."
"I Feel the Earth Move."
"Carole King."
"Fire and Rain."
"James Taylor."
"Poor Side of Town."
"Johnny Rivers."
"Who's That Lady?"
"Isley Brothers."
"It Don't Come Easy."
"Ringo Starr."
"Ode to Billy Joe."
"Bobbie Gentry."
"Suspicious Minds."
"Elvis Presley."
"On the Road Again."
"Canned Heat."
"Put a Little Love in Your Heart."
"Dusty Springfield."
"Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"
"Dionne Warwick."
"Run, Run, Run."
"Jo Jo Gunne."
"Sunny."
"Bobby Hebb."
"I'm Your Vehicle."
"Ides of March."
"I'm a Rock."
"Simon and Garfunkel."
"Turn Down Day."
"The Cyrkle."
"Love Her Madly."
"The Doors."
"Okie From Muskogee."
"Merle Haggard."
"Sunday Morning Coming Down."
"Kris Kristofferson."
"Diamond Girl."
"Seals & Crofts."
"Darling, Be Home Soon."
"Loving Spoonful."
"Bus Stop."
"The Hollies."
"County Girl."
"Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young."
"One Fine Morning."
"Lighthouse."
"Wow. The most I've ever had anyone get is about half. You only needed more than one clue a couple of times."
"Sam. Do me a favor."
"Sure."
"Too many of the songs you picked were about love. Get back together with your girlfriend. Treat her right. If she's the one then ask her to marry you."
"That all?"
"Yeah."
"Well, that's a relief. I've been waiting all weekend for the other shoe to drop."
"Huh?"
"Well, it's obvious you're one of those Jesus freaks now. Every one of them I've ever met tried to get me saved. Bunch of fanatics!"
"You know what a fanatic is?"
"No."
"It's someone who loves Jesus more than you do."
"Well, the important thing for me is that my fire insurance is paid up. I know he died for
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