Love comes to us in many forms. I believe that God is Love and one of the ways that love reaches us is through our friends. The more experiences we share with friends, the more we can relate to them. Memories we build with each other come up when we're together and, also, when we're alone. They shape and inform our experience of the present moment- meals we share, things we do together, inside jokes, times we consoled each other, secrets we share. A scent or a sound or an object can take us right back to one of those shared moments.
In their song, "Whenever I Call You Friend," Melissa Manchester and Kenny Loggins wrote:
Now I know my life has given me more than memories
In every moment there's a reason to carry on
The song itself is a great example of how music weaves itself into our lives and friendships. The friendships inform the songs, and the songs inform the friendships. It's entirely symbiotic.
I've often shared my personal history with that song because it's pretty cool. I remember listening to it with friends in high school (both Kenny's version with Stevie Nicks and a version Melissa recorded.) Years later, Melissa and Susan Holder serenaded me with the song at my 50th birthday party on a lovely night when a group of my friends from various stages of my life got together at Hollywood Studio Bar and Grill and sang all might. I can't think of a better way to celebrate a milestone like that.
A few years later I was one of the winners of Melissa's cover contest and the prize was getting to sing the song live on stage with her at The Rose in Pasadena, CA. Some of you were there that night. You can relieve that magical night in this video.
When Melissa decided to create a new version of the song for her Re:View album cerebrating 50 years in the music business, she brought me into the studio as Associate Producer. It was a powerful experience being in the room and creating together. Kenny Loggins ended up singing on the track with Melissa and Dave Koz added a brilliant sax solo. Check out the video here. So now when I hear that song my experience of it comes loaded with all those layered memories. And, as the song says, even more than memories.
I talk about friendship in today's Big Blend Radio and Magazines podcast. You can find links to our discussion below and listen to playlists of friendship songs we put together on Spotify and YouTube. We talk about everything from my enduring friendship with my Best Friend since Jr. High, Rodger Guerrero, to the shifting forms friendships can take when romantic feelings get involved. Though we haven't met yet, Lisa and I and her mother Nancy J. Reid have developed a wonderful friendship through these podcasts. I even have my own page on the Big Blend website!
Our conversations are generally a mix of laughter, musings about the world we live and move in, and the arts, especially music. This month we look through the lens of friendship.
I'm so glad I get to call you friend.
Now, go connect with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. I bet you’ll pick up right where you left off.
Our Celebrating Friendship Podcast just published on the following Big Blend Radio podcast channels, which are all distributed to all major podcast platforms such as Spotify, Apple, Amazon & Audible, iHeartRadio, ListenNotes, etc., see:
- Big Blend Radio: www.BigBlendRadio.com
- Big Daily Blend Channel - https://big-daily-blend.podbean.com/
- Quality of Life Channel - https://quality-of-life.podbean.com/
- Our YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@bigblendradio/
- Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/bigblendradiomags
Check out our Friendship Songs Playlists:
* On YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4dkmtanr
* On Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4a7zsny3
My website is hearjohnny.com
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