GREAT interview! My wife and I started dating in 1966, and married in 1971, so The Association was a big part of our dating and married life. While we were dating we decided ‘Never My Love’ was our song, it encapsulated our commitment to each other. It’s still our song. My bride has Alzheimer’s now, and I lose a little more of her every day. She doesn’t remember any longer that we are married, but she still smiles and sings along any time ‘Never My Love’ plays. If I outlive her, it will be one of the songs I ask to be played at her funeral, because it is still true for us.
So sorry to hear and wish you both well. Suggestion... Get her on MCT Oil immediately! Throw out all vegetable oil and Seed Oils. Stop with the Sugar. Use Local Raw Honey instead for sweetener. I pray she's not on cholesterol meds...it does so much damage. 🙏
My hubby was getting ready to leave for Vietnam….a long drive home from Ft Riley, Kansas, and Cherish playing on the radio as we drove home for a brief stay before he left the states. Memories! He happens to still be with me…57 years! We had such great music! Isn’t it amazing how certain songs stay with us!
Man,it's tough watching some of your segments only because it brings tears to my eyes. But it's only a drop in a bucket compared to what I read in the comment section. You are one fortunate individual to generate so much emotion through your channel. Thanks again for all your work.
The Association was one of the best bands of the 1960's. Their vocal harmonies were what separated them from most bands and I can't think of any group that did it better.
My grandpa, had a stroke in 1987. As he was laying in the hospital at Sequoia hospital Redwood City my grandma hummed “Never My Love” as a tear spilled from his eye. He passed shortly afterwards.
My wife and I saw The Association in 1972 at the Troubadour in Los Angles. We sat at a table up front. It was our first date, beyond romantic. First kiss that night. We danced to “Never My Love” at our wedding 47 years ago. Yep, this group was a big part of our lives. Thank you for this episode. Brought back some wonderful memories.
I was born in 1955. So I very much remember their music and have always loved it. This was such a great interview. They seem like really likeable guys.
I was born in '65 and I was a young 4 year-old, and I remember hearing the song "Cherish" on a long car ride to Tennessee at night that played from an 8-track player. I looked up at the stars and sang along to the lyrics, "...and gaze into your eyes." Listening to "Cherish" and looking at the stars made my heart melt, and I love this memory! 😊❤
Exactly the same for me but different circumstances. England, same looking at the stars , was the Beatles, And I Love Her. That makes my heart melt also hearing it to this day
I am 71 years old now so I remember everyone of these songs when they came out and loved them all. Being a musician myself I saw the complexity and beauty in everything they did. Harmonies just blew me away every time. Thank you for this wonderful interview with them it made me subscribe to your channel
As baby boomers we have not forgotten about The Association band. Their music is timeless and brings back wonderful memories for us from back in the days...
THIS WAS GREAT! As an old lady, your interview was a skip down that proverbial memory lane. These are songs that capture the true meaning of "takes me back." When I hear 'em, I'm young and still in high school. Thanks to those guys for the fun.
Thanks so much for featuring these guys ….. massively underrated…..with ALL the boy vocal bands who have come and gone …. These guys wrote -arranged -recorded & performed these timeless beautiful songs …. Master craftsman indeed !!! Thank you again
😊 only the professor could look at that list and think “did you see who’s got as many songs as the Beatles on here?” And then turn it into a whole episode. Man, this dude truly is an encyclopedia. Thank you, Prof!!
The Association's "Windy" from 1967's Summer Of Love is one of the best songs of all time, lyrically, vocally and instrumentally. And #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
The Professor of Rock is an archeologist of music who "digs" treasured relics and showcases artifacts of a genre that spans generations. Adam, you're a gem that perpetuates the universal language of Rock 'n' Roll. Thanks for all you do. Happy holidays to you and yours.
G'day to you Oh Wise One, Yay verily you speak true, they were one of the best Groups for Harmony, any Song they did was Brilliant, Never my Love, Cherish and my favourite Windy! I am now 73 and still love them! from Armadale West Aust.
I must concur, oh friend from down under! Windy is my favorite too. What are the odds, we’re thousands of miles apart, yet we dig the same tune! Hah! Gday to you!👍🎸🥁❤️
G'Day to you again my Friend, if the Music is Brilliant distance is no Barrier, I have seen so many of the Greats over the Years, of course to Me 60s will never be Beaten, Keep on Listening my Brother !@@davemoyer505
Had the pleasure of seeing these guys in the late 80's and despite a few lineup changes they still sounded fantastic. One of my 4 or 5 favorite bands of their era
@@ProfessorofRock Near the end you played a clip from their last song to chart, it got my attention because I've loved a cover of it for years, since the 1980s. Moon Martin did the cover that I'm familiar with. TIL that it was an Association song! I'd have never guessed. Thanks Adam! Moon Martin was my fiance's favorite musician-people-don't-know-but-should. Moon Martin wrote the huge hit that most everyone thinks was written by Robert Palmer, "Bad Case of Loving You" (Doctor, Doctor!). It's just that Palmer was so great, he really made that song his! Moon's original is worth a listen though. I think Moon's song "Rolene" had what it takes to be a hit, it just didn't get airplay. "Rolene" reminds me a lot of "Radar Love", sounds nothing like it but the lyrics are ALL about the anticipation of getting jiggy with a hot girl. A sexy song, but not crude: "You know my baby's love Just like a sweet velvet glove Honey, crack that whip Ya make me bite my lip!"
Along Comes Mary was great because it combined jazz and rock with an incredible lyric. There has never been anything like it. The song was very advanced for its time and still is. Fun interview!
Love the Association…Graduated from High School in 1968 and they were are very large part of the AM Radio Sound of our lives… Their Harmonies are as complicated and beautiful as any that any band in the History of Rock/Pop Music ever performed, Including The Beach Boys and the Beatles…Great Band. Thanks Prof of Rock for your treatment of them.
One of the greatest bands of all time, and their harmonies are incredible. They don't always get the respect that they deserve, but some of their songs are indeed timeless classics.
I love music and was born in 1956. Wow what music those years produced, and all of these classics were a huge part of what is now a wonderful memory. Thanks.
You nailed it on the Association being a forgotten group. I listened to them in the late 60s as a pre-teenager and through the 70s as a teenager. Anyone with a sense of music couldn't ignore the brilliance of their songs. I shamefully admit I have not thought about or listened to the Association since the 80s.
I was 13 yrs old back in 1966 in the backseat with my sister in my Dad's 59 Rambler going for a drive and heard Cheris for the first time. Years later that song has stuck in my head since then, it's a beautiful song.
I had to smile about the length debate over Cherish. I went to a party at a friends house in the 60’s and met a girl for the first time. I got up the courage to ask her to slow dance to Cherish. Well, … we simply put that song on repeat and it went on for probably a couple of hours, over and over and over. I never wanted to let go of her.
I am 72 and I still play all the songs of the 60’s and up every night. Never my love will always be a favorite and bring sweet memories. Wonderful interview, thank u
Always have loved this band. They have a sophistication about them that is pretty rare these days. And the lyrics to "Along Comes Mary" are among the best I've ever heard.
This is a terrific interview with the wonderful Jules Alexander and Jim Yester of the legendary group, The Association. I loved The Association ever since I was a young kid during the 1960s. I finally got to see this great band in performance in 1972 at the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park. They were absolutely superb in concert. Sadly, Brian Cole, Richard Thompson, Larry Ramos and, most recently, the great Terry Kirkman, who performed at that memorable concert, are deceased. Why The Association is NOT in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a joke. Shame on the obtuse and the apparently politically-incorrect Jann Wenner.
Aloha Professor of Rock, I am 72 years old and grew up with music from the Association. They were a huge influence on my love for music and I am glad you did such an amazing job of covering their incredible talent. You must have a photographic memory to cover so much history of music groups and the stories behind their struggles and successes. Keep it up and Mahalo from Hawaii.
I saw The Association in NYC in 1972. They were superb in concert. They should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but I understand that the late, great Terry Kirkman supposedly told the insufferable Jann Wenner to “bleep-off.”
Without this channel, music lovers would remain in the dark about their favorite songs and musicians. Thanks for turning on the lights for us Professor!
The first drummer in my first band Glass Onyon was Brant Cole the son of The Association’s bass player singer and cofounder Brian Cole. Brant now produces and plays with his band Cole/Flood in LA.
I was a freshman in college in '66 and I still have their hits on vinyl. I still play their greatest hits on our traditional weekend video and vinyl night. They never get old. We saw them in a small venue in the early 80s and they sounded great.
Not to be missed: The Association included a Filipino-American during some of their popular years. His name was Larry Ramos, and he is the first Asian American to ever win a Grammy. After The Association added Larry Ramos to their band, the band faced discrimination, with some people being upset and not wanting to give the band opportunities to play. Larry Ramos has passed away, but he was a trailblazer. Raised in Hawaii and California, he was a red-blooded American, just like you and me.
Complete & utter bull 💩! Y’all forget some of us were alive & activity listening to rock during this period & not once did I ever hear this from ANYONE!!! NOBODY CARED!!!
Yes I remember Larry Ramos. An ex- monk and Catholic seminary survivor, just like me. Can't blame him for dropping out. Too much regimentation and indoctrination. His true vocation was his music. He found his calling.
@@patrickancona1193”Nobody cared back then”? Complete nonsense. I don’t know about the incident he mentions where the band wasn’t allowed to play, but it’s likely true because he was in fact the first Asian to win a Grammy in the early sixties and, shortly after, there was a long delay in hiring him to be in the backing band on the The Andy Williams TV Show “because he would be the only non-white member of the band”, per the TV show’s producer. Yes, many audiences in many places didn’t care, but many did.
Its bullshit complete and utter bullshit. No one cared about race in the music business for sure. Do you remember a guy named Carlos Santana, or maybe Richie Valens, then around that time there was this other fellow that was kinda popular, what was that.guys nam... oh yeah Jimi Hendrix. Racism was then and is now dead, you should really let it RIP
Early 70s mom played her radio in the house, easy listening station out of Miami. The Associations songs were played often and, of course, some of my favorite tunes of the day. Thanks for this segment. It really brought back some memories.
Ted Bluechel Jr was a “hometown boy” where I grew up and my oldest brother went to high school with him. Ted seemed to disappear. I’ve heard he passed away and also he just stepped out of the limelight to live a quiet life. I recently rediscovered The Association on RUclips and they are on my list of mixes. Their music is timeless.
My understanding is he had a child who was on the autism spectrum, and stepped away to focus on raising him/her. I too have a child on the spectrum, so have mad respect for the man. #autismspeaks
The Association’s performance of Along Comes Mary on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is a classic. You get a real sense that the band members had a lot of fun playing together.
Love this group, was fortunate to meet Jim and Jules at a New Jersey concert a few years ago and have them sign my "Stop Your Motor " Album, one of my all time favorites.
It's great to see Jim Yester back doing his Association gig! He's had quite a varied career and worked with some of the best folk and "folk/rock" acts. Last I knew, he was managing what's left of one of those old vocal groups like The Lettermen, The Four Preps, or one of those type acts. The Association still sells tickets, especially on the package gigs, so I'm glad he's back with them!
Thank you Adam for putting a spotlight on The Association, one of my favorite bands of all time! They are one of the few groups that remind us that the voice is every bit an instrument, just as integral to the finished piece of music as any other instrument! Their voices were astounding! That they performed their own instrumental music as well with little backup was probably not done again until Queen, so they are unique in rock music as well. Hope everybody has a wonderful New Year in 2024!
7 years old and I bought a 45 of "Cherish" for my first record. I have always felt the Association was the best of the 60s. Never have they left the soundtrack of my life. Thanks for doing this!
My high school glass was '68. All these Association songs bring back my many, many heart breaks. Especially Cherish. Unrequited love was my middle name. Cherish about sums up my love life in high school. Funny how I can now look back fondly. Good video. Thanks.
My husband tuned me into you and I just happened across this video on my way down another rabbit hole and ...... God, Yes, on The Association! Man what a band.
Thanks for the insight. They're another great band that deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They probably never will be but that's the Hall's loss.
In July of 1966 a buddy and me took a week long trip in his 12' aluminum boat down Hoods Canal in Puget Sound. Nothing beats Puget Sound when the sun is out. We had an old fashioned transistor radio and the two songs I remember hearing all week were Laz'in on a Sunny Afternoon and Cherish. I was 16 and that was the last summer I had where I didn't have to work. Good memories. Thanks Professor!
I went to a talk given by Russ Giguere last month. He's promoting his book about his time with The Association. It was absolutely terrible. I learned more from this interview than the entire hour listening to him reading from his book, sounding stilted, and not actually telling us anything about the songs. Thanks as always, Adam. Have an excellent weekend.
Thanks so much for covering them professor. I feel connected to the Association in so many ways . Though I was born in 62, I knew of them before the 60s was over . My older brother used to play them around the house a lot to enrich my young rock and roll soul, along with the Grass Roots , another great but mostly forgotten band back then .Also that same bro was later a member of the same Mensa group as Tandyn Almer in D.C. their writer for “Along Comes” and got to probe him over the song.And I get to see them almost every year as they come to my town for the “Happy Together “ tour with The Turtles. What a treat!
My husband and I had two songs and “Cherish “ was one of them. When I was 16 and he was 18 in the summer of 1966, that song came out. I remember walking on the beach with him on San Gregorio Beach by Half Moon Bay and listening to it on my transistor radio. Hearing it always brings those days and memories right back to me and I’m 16 once again.
I love the videos where professor interviews the band members. It just brings so much new information to that song. I love all those songs. Such classics
I truly enjoyed this as I do all your interviews, I am 70 and my sister is 75 so i grew up listening to all the awesome music early on. My parents made her take me to see the Beatles at the Atlanta Braves Stadium in 1965, I was 12 and it was awesome. Thanks a million for covering the old stuff
Just before going in the Army and then Vietnam, I gave a very good friend of mine (Linda) the first Association album. Need less to say, I never saw her or the album again. Loved them both.
One of the interesting things about The Association is that they spread the lead vocal duties around. Terry Kirkman wrote and sang lead on "Cherish," but it was Larry Ramos, then new to the group, who sang lead on "Windy" and my favourite, "Never My Love." Jim Yester wrote and sang lead on "Along the Way," a beautiful ballad from 1970 that should have been a hit, but failed to chart. The band also did some great B-sides, including "We Love Us" (B-side of "Everything that Touches You"), written and sung by Ted Bluechel, "Looking Glass" (B-side of "No Fair at All"), and "Requiem for the Masses" (B-side of "Never My Love," and a minor chart entry). They also did a good cover of "Darling Be Home Soon," which was a minor chart entry in the spring of 1972. The Association also provided the title song and a few others for the movie "Goodbye Columbus" (1969) and remained a good concert draw into the early 1970s, with a live album in 1970 that sold fairly well.
Thank you so much for covering The Association!! Terry Kirkman grew up in Salina, KS...about 30 miles north of me. Never My Love is my fave Association song.
Hey Professor - I am closing in on 73 trips around the sun and still remember the lyrics to “Along Comes Mary”! When I hear it I can’t help but belt it out. The sixties were a great time for growing up in. Thanks for all you do for us to bring us these great interviews!
As a kid, I was a fan of "boyband" The Lettermen. It was through listening to them, that I discovered The Association. I have a deep seated love for vocal harmonies, and they remain the penulimate example. Thanks again Professor!! You never fail to entertain. You must have the highest view retention rate on RUclips, I don't think I've ever not watched to the end. Kudos for finding the pitch perfect tone and style.
This is the music of my school days. I remember how popular Wendy was on the radio. It seemed like WLS played it every hour on the hour for a whole summer. Everything That Touches You was/is probably my favorite Association song. It describes how I feel about my wife of 43 years and counting. I still play their music once in a while. I ripped their greatest hits CD to MP3 and put it on my phone and the USB drive in my car. Being an old Boomer, I'm still mostly stuck in the 60s and 70s when it comes to music.
Good old WLS 890. Chicago's premier rock station. Played rock music well into the 80's. Then went down the toilet along with the rest of AM radio. Still broadcasting but has nothing but talk , sports, and other crap. However its sister station WLS FM 94.7 is still playing older music and classic rock till this very day.
One of the greatest bands of all times. I know every word of their songs, just as others do around the World. Beautiful music. Great Interview. Thank you so much. It made my day. 🇺🇸❤
Loved The Association growing up. Played Windy countless times in middle school band. They were definitely a big part of the radio airplay I grew up with.
Perhaps because music was as stylistically segregated at the time. Look at the charts of the era and you see the extreme soft pop, competing with the hardest rock of the day for position on the same stations. You also had regional hits.
@@johnstegmeier3758 Perhaps. I feel music is always following many paths, and how we consume it changes. In the 1960s and into the 1970s you could hear a variety of genres on a given radio station. Now we have a proliferation of stations, streaming services, etc. that specialize so the outliers are not as visible.
I read something Ray Manzarek of The Doors wrote about playing in Des Moines for 34 people the weekend after The Association played to over 5,000. He seemed bitter. For me, it told me that the version of the 1960s I was being sold probably wasn't the truth. It drove me to learn more about 1960s music -- and I learned I *wasn't* being told the truth about what people actually listened to. The Association will always be one of my favorite groups. They were insanely talented.
Does someone remember a summer replacement show possibly in 66 or 67 that was talent show with them and Sly and the Family Stone in it? Is my memory that bad?
I'm glad to see this great group featured today. I see why "Cherish" was enjoyed by so many, but I agree it is somewhat obsessive. I think "Windy" was great, too, but among their many standouts, "Everything That Touches You" is my favorite.
Hope you had a great Christmas, Professor! Love Cherish and Never, My Love. Always love how wholesome and sweet those songs sound with their beautiful harmonies. Great video as always! 🙏
During the 1966-68 era, The Association was my absolute favorite American band. Their two albums on Valiant were sensational. I was sad when Gary/Jules left but Larry did a fine job in replacement. Two songs that fell between Cherish and Windy that don't get the recognition they deserve were Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies, a psychedelic masterpiece written by Jules, and No Fair at All (written by Jim) which really showcased Jim's angelic voice. I encourage anyone who likes the songs in this video to check them out if you're not familiar.
They were supposed to play locally a couple years before the pandemic with Al Stewart on the bill, but it was cancelled due to poor sales. We didn't get the memo and drove to an empty parking lot. @@blinky705 😞
Love The Association. During the mid-to-late 1960's, they recorded so many great mellow, pop-rock songs including "Cherish", "Windy", "Never My :Love" and so much more. I always wondered what happened to them and why we didn't hear anything new from them in the 1970's. That's why I tune in regularly to The Professor Of Rock Music Channel.
Everything That Touches You and Requiem are my favorite Association tracks though the three in the top 25 are stellar compositions and recordings. I'm thrilled these guys are getting some "posthumous" recognition.Their vocal harmonies are dead on and so uplifting. And their arrangements! That is creativity at its best.
Thanks Professor for the great interview and history! As a young teenager, my big sister took me to my first rock concert in the SF Bay Area with The Association, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and Tommy James and the Shondells, not long after Cherish was released. Wow, what a show! Those truly were the days!
The Association was the favorite band, along with The Beatles, from 1966 to 1968, for me and my first love Linda. “Cherish” was our song. Every time I hear those songs they make me cry. Ah memories of youth and young love…I was in college and she was in high school then. I thought it would last forever and we would get married, but it wasn’t to be. Now I am with my soul mate wife Sandra and she has filled that empty void I had in my heart for many years.
My favorite story associated with The Association (had to go there) has to do with the accompaniment to "Along Comes Mary", one I've typed out here before. My personal Chicago fandom led me to read a mini-biography of former bassist Jason Scheff's father, session bassist Jerry Scheff. Apparently, his first session job was in the accompaniment of "Along Comes Mary". Near the end, he flubbed one note and asked Curt Boettcher if he could rewind the tape so Jerry could rectify it. Boettcher couldn't pick up on it, so it stayed. Subsequently, Jerry caught an instrumental muzak cover at a supermarket - complete with flub. Back when MP3 sharing was still completely free, before it became harnessed by Apple and Amazon, I actually got a copy of the song so I could listen to it and find Jerry's mistake. Then, there's a mistake a dear friend of mine made with another Association gem. He thought it was called "Wendy". I had to inform him it's titled "Windy". He's a baby boomer who lived through the 60s, and I wasn't even alive yet when The Association was cutting records!
Dittos, @dave. I had all their albums, and the Requiem stood out to me as a song that took courage to sing, especially at that time. And, of course, impeccably produced.
BUT, without question Everything That Touches You was my all-time favorite. Relentless, powerful, driving of very deep, emotional lyrics. I still tear up as the song progresses--The happy alternative to Cherish, which was every bit as relentless and deep, but sad.
Yes, Requiem for the Masses was an awesome song. Yes I do understand the Latin and Greek parts. Like Larry Ramos, I was a Catholic seminary survivor, studied Latin for 5 years. Requiem refers to the Catholic Requiem Mass, the funeral Mass, to see somebody off to the Great Beyond. Kyrie eleison is Greek, means Lord, have mercy . The story of the and is about some poor soldier in Vietnam , who just took a bullet and wandered off into the jungle to die. What were the last thoughts going thru his head as he bled out and finally expired. Realizing that he had been told the Greatest Lie Ever Told. That war is fun ,war is glorious,etc. Too late for him now.
The Association was a great band for kids in the mid-60s and their transistor radios. We could place the radio on our pillows and fall asleep listening to the music we loved. The transistor radio meant the world to me growing up near Detroit, MI, and Ontario, Canada. I got to listen to all kinds of music from the Rock era. And late at night after the radio stations went off the air, I could pick up Chicago's WCFL radio station and listen to great classic radio skit shows, like Chicken Man and of course great Rock and Roll too. For being so small the Transistor Radio looms huge in my teen-years memories.
So much of their oeuvre sounds like chant. The harmonies really sell the songs. My sister and I loved The Association, growing up, and were always singing their songs. Thanks for the information and the interview!
The Wrecking Crew played the backing tracks on their songs. The combination of the superb vocals of The Association and the incredible studio musicians made the timeless hits that have stood the test of time.
Most of us, if wrecking Crew did play, on the album, really don't care. We are here for the Association, not the wrecking crew. Make a list of all the singers, groups, and solo acts they performed, then start doing videos on your favorite musicians. By the way name your source when you input information on a subject
@@billyhancock7851 yes, the wrecking crew played as the backing bands for most of the records that came out of the Los Angeles recording studios 60’s-70’s including this classic. Not sure why that information seemed to upset billyhancock but I guarantee there are many fans who love hearing some inside information. Hal Blain -drums, joe Osborne -bass, Al Kasey Guitar. A few more. They were the 1st calll session guys and played on thousands of records. There’s a brilliant documentary about them titled “the wrecking crew’. If you love music and background info, (and assuming you watch the professor of rock you do, rent “the wrecking crew” doc
I was born as their string of hits was coming to an end, so I was aware of them post popularity but while radio still had some of their hits on their playlists. I remember that when I was little, I thought they were saying "Sherry Shoe", not "Cherish you". I did grow up enjoying their hits on the radio.
"Everything" is such a beautiful song!!! Never got much airplay, but if you bought the album, you could play it all the time!! My favorite was "Six Man Band"!! That buzzin' guitar still haunts me today!!✌️
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Poll: Which band or group had the greatest vocal harmonies of the rock era?
The Zombies
Crosby Stills and Nash
Mama's and the Popa's
Beach Boys, Steely Dan
America
Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Runnerups: The Eagles, The Beach Boys, The Bee Gees, Mamas & Papas and The Carpenters,
GREAT interview! My wife and I started dating in 1966, and married in 1971, so The Association was a big part of our dating and married life. While we were dating we decided ‘Never My Love’ was our song, it encapsulated our commitment to each other. It’s still our song. My bride has Alzheimer’s now, and I lose a little more of her every day. She doesn’t remember any longer that we are married, but she still smiles and sings along any time ‘Never My Love’ plays. If I outlive her, it will be one of the songs I ask to be played at her funeral, because it is still true for us.
Sir, I your story brought tears to my eyes
God bless you and your beautiful wife. ❤❤
so sorry for your loss gone but still there
So sorry to hear and wish you both well. Suggestion...
Get her on MCT Oil immediately!
Throw out all vegetable oil and Seed Oils.
Stop with the Sugar. Use Local Raw Honey instead for sweetener.
I pray she's not on cholesterol meds...it does so much damage. 🙏
@@timk4502 And sunshine. It's free, for now.
My hubby was getting ready to leave for Vietnam….a long drive home from Ft Riley, Kansas, and Cherish playing on the radio as we drove home for a brief stay before he left the states. Memories! He happens to still be with me…57 years! We had such great music! Isn’t it amazing how certain songs stay with us!
Moodys got so many of us through southeast Asia....
The Association has always been my favorite group, and "Cherish" will always be my favorite song. Thanks for shining a spotlight on these great guys.
Cherish is a beauty!
Man,it's tough watching some of your segments only because it brings tears to my eyes. But it's only a drop in a bucket compared to what I read in the comment section. You are one fortunate individual to generate so much emotion through your channel. Thanks again for all your work.
The Association was one of the best bands of the 1960's. Their vocal harmonies were what separated them from most bands and I can't think of any group that did it better.
THIS. 💯 IMO their harmonies were better than those of The Beach Boys (I don’t mean any disrespect to Brian Wilson & company).
My grandpa, had a stroke in 1987. As he was laying in the hospital at Sequoia hospital Redwood City my grandma hummed “Never My Love” as a tear spilled from his eye. He passed shortly afterwards.
That's very touchining.
How can you think love will end, when you know my whole life depends on you.. it, like these others, is one beautiful song..
I like "Windy"
Grew up very young w/these Guys !!
INCREDIBLE!!!
CHERISH !!!
By FAR !!
My wife and I saw The Association in 1972 at the Troubadour in Los Angles. We sat at a table up front. It was our first date, beyond romantic. First kiss that night. We danced to “Never My Love” at our wedding 47 years ago. Yep, this group was a big part of our lives. Thank you for this episode. Brought back some wonderful memories.
Spoiler alert. Thx. This guy is longwinded.
What a great night & story!
Thankyou for sharing that, l used to go to The Troubadour back in the mid 80s
Thank you for sharing such a great story 👍
Wasn't that in Goodfellas?
Being a boomer, I loved the Association. They sure made some great stuff in the mid-sixties.
Thanks, Professor!!
😎👍
I'm a gen x guy and I love them just as much!
I’m a Gen Z gal and Never My Love is one of my personal favorite songs of the 60s.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
That is a beautiful song! My favorite was "Six Man Band"!! That buzzin' guitar still gets to me!!
😎👍
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980Agree... Out of their songs, it's Never My Love for the win 👍
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980
Gen Z?? Holy cow!! I'm probably old enough to be your granddad. You sure know your stuff for being so young!!👍
I was born in 1955. So I very much remember their music and have always loved it. This was such a great interview. They seem like really likeable guys.
I was born in '65 and I was a young 4 year-old, and I remember hearing the song "Cherish" on a long car ride to Tennessee at night that played from an 8-track player. I looked up at the stars and sang along to the lyrics, "...and gaze into your eyes." Listening to "Cherish" and looking at the stars made my heart melt, and I love this memory! 😊❤
Exactly the same for me but different circumstances. England, same looking at the stars , was the Beatles, And I Love Her. That makes my heart melt also hearing it to this day
I am 71 years old now so I remember everyone of these songs when they came out and loved them all. Being a musician myself I saw the complexity and beauty in everything they did. Harmonies just blew me away every time. Thank you for this wonderful interview with them it made me subscribe to your channel
FINALLY someone recognized The Association!!!! ❤ you for this!
As baby boomers we have not forgotten about The Association band. Their music is timeless and brings back wonderful memories for us from back in the days...
THIS WAS GREAT! As an old lady, your interview was a skip down that proverbial memory lane. These are songs that capture the true meaning of "takes me back." When I hear 'em, I'm young and still in high school. Thanks to those guys for the fun.
Thanks so much for featuring these guys ….. massively underrated…..with ALL the boy vocal bands who have come and gone …. These guys wrote -arranged -recorded & performed these timeless beautiful songs …. Master craftsman indeed !!! Thank you again
😊 only the professor could look at that list and think “did you see who’s got as many songs as the Beatles on here?” And then turn it into a whole episode. Man, this dude truly is an encyclopedia. Thank you, Prof!!
Over 1/2 a century of living to finally hear this good 1 - 'have archaic & eat it to!', that's as good as this son(:
The Association's "Windy" from 1967's Summer Of Love is one of the best songs of all time, lyrically, vocally and instrumentally. And #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks.
Agreed! WINDY Is such a feel good catchy classic!
The song is undeniably great.
Reminds of when I was a kid, sitting in the back of the beasty station wagon, and listening to the semi static of AM radio songs as we drove downtown
Especially when you consider the Breaking Bad context...not sure thats what they had in mind though 😜
Seriously though always thought it was "Wendy" maybe because that was my HS crush who I later married (and sadly divorced).
The Professor of Rock is an archeologist of music who "digs" treasured relics and showcases artifacts of a genre that spans generations. Adam, you're a gem that perpetuates the universal language of Rock 'n' Roll. Thanks for all you do. Happy holidays to you and yours.
I couldn’t have said it better. I wish someone like Netflix would make episodes with him.
Windy was one of the first songs that took me back to my "awakening to the music culture" in '67, 7th grade. Brings back some great memories.
G'day to you Oh Wise One, Yay verily you speak true, they were one of the best Groups for Harmony, any Song they did was Brilliant, Never my Love, Cherish and my favourite Windy! I am now 73 and still love them! from Armadale West Aust.
I must concur, oh friend from down under! Windy is my favorite too. What are the odds, we’re thousands of miles apart, yet we dig the same tune! Hah! Gday to you!👍🎸🥁❤️
G'Day to you again my Friend, if the Music is Brilliant distance is no Barrier, I have seen so many of the Greats over the Years, of course to Me 60s will never be Beaten, Keep on Listening my Brother !@@davemoyer505
G’day from Brisbane, totally agree you mate! Cheers
As they say "Great Minds Think Alike!" Mate🤔@@russdando5153
Had the pleasure of seeing these guys in the late 80's and despite a few lineup changes they still sounded fantastic. One of my 4 or 5 favorite bands of their era
They toured up until a few years ago...
@@ProfessorofRock Near the end you played a clip from their last song to chart, it got my attention because I've loved a cover of it for years, since the 1980s. Moon Martin did the cover that I'm familiar with. TIL that it was an Association song! I'd have never guessed. Thanks Adam!
Moon Martin was my fiance's favorite musician-people-don't-know-but-should.
Moon Martin wrote the huge hit that most everyone thinks was written by Robert Palmer, "Bad Case of Loving You" (Doctor, Doctor!). It's just that Palmer was so great, he really made that song his! Moon's original is worth a listen though.
I think Moon's song "Rolene" had what it takes to be a hit, it just didn't get airplay. "Rolene" reminds me a lot of "Radar Love", sounds nothing like it but the lyrics are ALL about the anticipation of getting jiggy with a hot girl. A sexy song, but not crude:
"You know my baby's love
Just like a sweet velvet glove
Honey, crack that whip
Ya make me bite my lip!"
I’m glad you got to see them! Where was it?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Ft. Worth Tx. They played for almost 2 hrs
Along Comes Mary was great because it combined jazz and rock with an incredible lyric. There has never been anything like it. The song was very advanced for its time and still is. Fun interview!
Good call! Thanks!
Them and BST were great at jazz rock fusion
I believe Mary is Marijuana. Great song.
@@romanwasilewski5446knew her when she was still untouched....
Love the Association…Graduated from High School in 1968 and they were are very large part of the AM Radio Sound of our lives… Their Harmonies are as complicated and beautiful as any that any band in the History of Rock/Pop Music ever performed, Including The Beach Boys and the Beatles…Great Band. Thanks Prof of Rock for your treatment of them.
One of the greatest bands of all time, and their harmonies are incredible. They don't always get the respect that they deserve, but some of their songs are indeed timeless classics.
I love music and was born in 1956. Wow what music those years produced, and all of these classics were a huge part of what is now a wonderful memory. Thanks.
You nailed it on the Association being a forgotten group. I listened to them in the late 60s as a pre-teenager and through the 70s as a teenager. Anyone with a sense of music couldn't ignore the brilliance of their songs. I shamefully admit I have not thought about or listened to the Association since the 80s.
The harmonies were truly excellent.
The Association were the sound of my earliest memories. I was maybe 2 or 3 years old, but their dreamy harmonies were firmly imprinted on my brain.
I still listen to the Association. I first heard Cherish back in 1966. Great harmonies.
until now
I was 13 yrs old back in 1966 in the backseat with my sister in my Dad's 59 Rambler going for a drive and heard Cheris for the first time. Years later that song has stuck in my head since then, it's a beautiful song.
I had to smile about the length debate over Cherish. I went to a party at a friends house in the 60’s and met a girl for the first time. I got up the courage to ask her to slow dance to Cherish. Well, … we simply put that song on repeat and it went on for probably a couple of hours, over and over and over. I never wanted to let go of her.
We exhibited our wedding ceremony to "Everything That Touches You"- just magical! RIP, Terry. Thanks for the beautiful music!
I am 72 and I still play all the songs of the 60’s and up every night. Never my love will always be a favorite and bring sweet memories. Wonderful interview, thank u
Always have loved this band. They have a sophistication about them that is pretty rare these days. And the lyrics to "Along Comes Mary" are among the best I've ever heard.
I agree! Thanks Mitchell!
Love Along Comes Mary! The lyrics are easily the best part of that one.
This is a terrific interview with the wonderful Jules Alexander and Jim Yester of the legendary group, The Association.
I loved The Association ever since I was a young kid during the 1960s. I finally got to see this great band in performance in 1972 at the Schaefer Music Festival in Central Park. They were absolutely superb in concert.
Sadly, Brian Cole, Richard Thompson, Larry Ramos and, most recently, the great Terry Kirkman, who performed at that memorable concert, are deceased.
Why The Association is NOT in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a joke. Shame on the obtuse and the apparently politically-incorrect Jann Wenner.
One of my favs at the time. Lost the 1st album at a party :-(
Aloha Professor of Rock, I am 72 years old and grew up with music from the Association. They were a huge influence on my love for music and I am glad you did such an amazing job of covering their incredible talent. You must have a photographic memory to cover so much history of music groups and the stories behind their struggles and successes. Keep it up and Mahalo from Hawaii.
Amazing group! Beautiful songs and harmonies. They performed at Monterey. The fact that they are not better known and appreciated is criminal!
Have you seen them?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 unfortunately I never got the chance but I love the music
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Saw them in the 60s in Chicago.
I saw The Association in NYC in 1972. They were superb in concert.
They should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but I understand that the late, great Terry Kirkman supposedly told the insufferable Jann Wenner to “bleep-off.”
Without this channel, music lovers would remain in the dark about their favorite songs and musicians. Thanks for turning on the lights for us Professor!
The first drummer in my first band Glass Onyon was Brant Cole the son of The Association’s bass player singer and cofounder Brian Cole. Brant now produces and plays with his band Cole/Flood in LA.
They remind me of their contemporaries The Fifth Dimension .Well blended ear- catching harmonies
Both great groups! What your favorite Fifth Dimension song?
@@ProfessorofRock Up, up and away.
Add Bread and The Carpenters and you’ve lost me to a sugar coma…
I'm 51, and "Never My Love" is just a bit before my time, but I absolutely *ADORE* that song! It will always be a timeless gem.
I was a freshman in college in '66 and I still have their hits on vinyl. I still play their greatest hits on our traditional weekend video and vinyl night. They never get old. We saw them in a small venue in the early 80s and they sounded great.
Not to be missed: The Association included a Filipino-American during some of their popular years. His name was Larry Ramos, and he is the first Asian American to ever win a Grammy. After The Association added Larry Ramos to their band, the band faced discrimination, with some people being upset and not wanting to give the band opportunities to play. Larry Ramos has passed away, but he was a trailblazer. Raised in Hawaii and California, he was a red-blooded American, just like you and me.
Complete & utter bull 💩! Y’all forget some of us were alive & activity listening to rock during this period & not once did I ever hear this from ANYONE!!! NOBODY CARED!!!
@@patrickancona1193 Name a fact I got wrong. If you can’t, then look in the mirror at the bull 💩
Yes I remember Larry Ramos. An ex- monk and Catholic seminary survivor, just like me. Can't blame him for dropping out. Too much regimentation and indoctrination. His true vocation was his music. He found his calling.
@@patrickancona1193”Nobody cared back then”? Complete nonsense. I don’t know about the incident he mentions where the band wasn’t allowed to play, but it’s likely true because he was in fact the first Asian to win a Grammy in the early sixties and, shortly after, there was a long delay in hiring him to be in the backing band on the The Andy Williams TV Show “because he would be the only non-white member of the band”, per the TV show’s producer. Yes, many audiences in many places didn’t care, but many did.
Its bullshit complete and utter bullshit. No one cared about race in the music business for sure. Do you remember a guy named Carlos Santana, or maybe Richie Valens, then around that time there was this other fellow that was kinda popular, what was that.guys nam... oh yeah Jimi Hendrix. Racism was then and is now dead, you should really let it RIP
Early 70s mom played her radio in the house, easy listening station out of Miami. The Associations songs were played often and, of course, some of my favorite tunes of the day. Thanks for this segment. It really brought back some memories.
WLYF?
Ted Bluechel Jr was a “hometown boy” where I grew up and my oldest brother went to high school with him. Ted seemed to disappear. I’ve heard he passed away and also he just stepped out of the limelight to live a quiet life. I recently rediscovered The Association on RUclips and they are on my list of mixes. Their music is timeless.
I looked this man up, and he’s still alive. He’s 81 years old now. I wouldn’t blame him for being private.
My understanding is he had a child who was on the autism spectrum, and stepped away to focus on raising him/her. I too have a child on the spectrum, so have mad respect for the man. #autismspeaks
The Association’s performance of Along Comes Mary on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour is a classic. You get a real sense that the band members had a lot of fun playing together.
Saw them in 67. Great concert.
Along Comes Mary is my favorite. A real tongue twister!
@timeout8928 In Chicago,? That's where I and friends saw them.
I loved their performances on The Ed Sullivan Show.❤
I was really little (born 1960), but even at that age, I was a music affectionado. 🎶📻 📺
I love the bands from the 60's. So much, passion and love for their music. Hats off to Association. Great Band!
I remember slowing dancing to Cherish at my Senior Prom (1972). A lasting memory.
Love this group, was fortunate to meet Jim and Jules at a New Jersey concert a few years ago and have them sign my "Stop Your Motor " Album, one of my all time favorites.
It's great to see Jim Yester back doing his Association gig! He's had quite a varied career and worked with some of the best folk and "folk/rock" acts. Last I knew, he was managing what's left of one of those old vocal groups like The Lettermen, The Four Preps, or one of those type acts. The Association still sells tickets, especially on the package gigs, so I'm glad he's back with them!
Thank you Adam for putting a spotlight on The Association, one of my favorite bands of all time! They are one of the few groups that remind us that the voice is every bit an instrument, just as integral to the finished piece of music as any other instrument! Their voices were astounding! That they performed their own instrumental music as well with little backup was probably not done again until Queen, so they are unique in rock music as well.
Hope everybody has a wonderful New Year in 2024!
7 years old and I bought a 45 of "Cherish" for my first record. I have always felt the Association was the best of the 60s. Never have they left the soundtrack of my life. Thanks for doing this!
My high school glass was '68. All these Association songs bring back my many, many heart breaks. Especially Cherish. Unrequited love was my middle name. Cherish about sums up my love life in high school. Funny how I can now look back fondly.
Good video. Thanks.
My husband tuned me into you and I just happened across this video on my way down another rabbit hole and ...... God, Yes, on The Association! Man what a band.
Thanks for the insight. They're another great band that deserves to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They probably never will be but that's the Hall's loss.
Never my love! Ha! I agree. They are amazing.
Well, neither is Neil Sedacka. That still pisses me off, but what am I supposed to do? All I can do is bitch about it.
In July of 1966 a buddy and me took a week long trip in his 12' aluminum boat down Hoods Canal in Puget Sound. Nothing beats Puget Sound when the sun is out. We had an old fashioned transistor radio and the two songs I remember hearing all week were Laz'in on a Sunny Afternoon and Cherish. I was 16 and that was the last summer I had where I didn't have to work.
Good memories. Thanks Professor!
I went to a talk given by Russ Giguere last month. He's promoting his book about his time with The Association. It was absolutely terrible. I learned more from this interview than the entire hour listening to him reading from his book, sounding stilted, and not actually telling us anything about the songs. Thanks as always, Adam. Have an excellent weekend.
Thanks so much for covering them professor. I feel connected to the Association in so many ways . Though I was born in 62, I knew of them before the 60s was over . My older brother used to play them around the house a lot to enrich my young rock and roll soul, along with the Grass Roots , another great but mostly forgotten band back then .Also that same bro was later a member of the same Mensa group as Tandyn Almer in D.C. their writer for “Along Comes” and got to probe him over the song.And I get to see them almost every year as they come to my town for the “Happy Together “ tour with The Turtles. What a treat!
My husband and I had two songs and “Cherish “ was one of them. When I was 16 and he was 18 in the summer of 1966, that song came out. I remember walking on the beach with him on San Gregorio Beach by Half Moon Bay and listening to it on my transistor radio. Hearing it always brings those days and memories right back to me and I’m 16 once again.
One of the most under appreciated rock bands of all time. I absolutely loved the group, still do. Rock on!
I love the videos where professor interviews the band members. It just brings so much new information to that song. I love all those songs. Such classics
I truly enjoyed this as I do all your interviews, I am 70 and my sister is 75 so i grew up listening to all the awesome music early on. My parents made her take me to see the Beatles at the Atlanta Braves Stadium in 1965, I was 12 and it was awesome. Thanks a million for covering the old stuff
Truly one of the best vocal arrangements and harmonies ever put on vinyl
Just before going in the Army and then Vietnam, I gave a very good friend of mine (Linda) the first Association album. Need less to say, I never saw her or the album again. Loved them both.
Never My Love has been a personal favorite for 40+ years.
Really a beautiful song.
One of the interesting things about The Association is that they spread the lead vocal duties around. Terry Kirkman wrote and sang lead on "Cherish," but it was Larry Ramos, then new to the group, who sang lead on "Windy" and my favourite, "Never My Love." Jim Yester wrote and sang lead on "Along the Way," a beautiful ballad from 1970 that should have been a hit, but failed to chart. The band also did some great B-sides, including "We Love Us" (B-side of "Everything that Touches You"), written and sung by Ted Bluechel, "Looking Glass" (B-side of "No Fair at All"), and "Requiem for the Masses" (B-side of "Never My Love," and a minor chart entry). They also did a good cover of "Darling Be Home Soon," which was a minor chart entry in the spring of 1972.
The Association also provided the title song and a few others for the movie "Goodbye Columbus" (1969) and remained a good concert draw into the early 1970s, with a live album in 1970 that sold fairly well.
what you didnt know larry ramos is filipino
All of the guys in The Association are superb singers.
Thank you so much for covering The Association!! Terry Kirkman grew up in Salina, KS...about 30 miles north of me.
Never My Love is my fave Association song.
Hey Professor - I am closing in on 73 trips around the sun and still remember the lyrics to “Along Comes Mary”! When I hear it I can’t help but belt it out. The sixties were a great time for growing up in. Thanks for all you do for us to bring us these great interviews!
I’m a 1948 model, this was prime for this group’s songs. And they were ALL special. Remarkable!
And your interview was a fine one.
As a kid, I was a fan of "boyband" The Lettermen. It was through listening to them, that I discovered The Association. I have a deep seated love for vocal harmonies, and they remain the penulimate example. Thanks again Professor!! You never fail to entertain. You must have the highest view retention rate on RUclips, I don't think I've ever not watched to the end. Kudos for finding the pitch perfect tone and style.
This is the music of my school days. I remember how popular Wendy was on the radio. It seemed like WLS played it every hour on the hour for a whole summer.
Everything That Touches You was/is probably my favorite Association song. It describes how I feel about my wife of 43 years and counting.
I still play their music once in a while. I ripped their greatest hits CD to MP3 and put it on my phone and the USB drive in my car.
Being an old Boomer, I'm still mostly stuck in the 60s and 70s when it comes to music.
I remember when Wendy was played on Breaking Bad and thought it was cool.
Wendy. Who??? Wrong
Good old WLS 890. Chicago's premier rock station. Played rock music well into the 80's. Then went down the toilet along with the rest of AM radio. Still broadcasting but has nothing but talk , sports, and other crap. However its sister station WLS FM 94.7 is still playing older music and classic rock till this very day.
WLS! Best DJ--Larry Lujack. The good old days! My favorite was also Everything That TouchesYou, with Cherish a close second.
You must mean Windy. Wendy is a song by the Beach Boys. Wendy left me alone, but everyone knows it's Windy.
My favorite by The Association: MESSAGE OF OUR LOVE. Didn't make it into the charts, but it's so romantic that it's in my heart till the day I die.
The Association’s music is timeless. Every time I hear them, I blast the radio. Thanks for a great interview.
One of the greatest bands of all times. I know every word of their songs, just as others do around the World. Beautiful music. Great Interview. Thank you so much. It made my day. 🇺🇸❤
What a fantastic interview. Thanks Professor
Loved The Association growing up. Played Windy countless times in middle school band. They were definitely a big part of the radio airplay I grew up with.
Windy is a classic!
What did you play in band?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Cornet. I was first chair so I pretty much carried the melody.
The Association always seemed to be a period piece - a 1960s phenomenon that was never repeated.
So true!
Definitely a product of their time, which is why Cherish is such a nostalgic song.
Perhaps because music was as stylistically segregated at the time. Look at the charts of the era and you see the extreme soft pop, competing with the hardest rock of the day for position on the same stations. You also had regional hits.
You mean, "dated"...? ;P
@@johnstegmeier3758 Perhaps. I feel music is always following many paths, and how we consume it changes. In the 1960s and into the 1970s you could hear a variety of genres on a given radio station. Now we have a proliferation of stations, streaming services, etc. that specialize so the outliers are not as visible.
My Aunt's & Mom Loved Cherish! Grew up with that! Thanks 🧡 Much Love!
I read something Ray Manzarek of The Doors wrote about playing in Des Moines for 34 people the weekend after The Association played to over 5,000. He seemed bitter. For me, it told me that the version of the 1960s I was being sold probably wasn't the truth. It drove me to learn more about 1960s music -- and I learned I *wasn't* being told the truth about what people actually listened to.
The Association will always be one of my favorite groups. They were insanely talented.
Does someone remember a summer replacement show possibly in 66 or 67 that was talent show with them and Sly and the Family Stone in it? Is my memory that bad?
It may have been that people were staying away after Morrison exposed himself on stage.
There are so many unsung heroes of rock. Great that you have done this feature on this underrated group.
OMG!!!
I love how yourgful they are....and they seem like so much FUN!
Great! Nice guys, great memories, perfect interview.
I'm glad to see this great group featured today. I see why "Cherish" was enjoyed by so many, but I agree it is somewhat obsessive. I think "Windy" was great, too, but among their many standouts, "Everything That Touches You" is my favorite.
Good songs.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Hi Lilly, yes...Happy Holidays to you and yours; I hope you had a super Christmas!
@@shiroibasketshoes I had a wonderful Christmas, how about you?
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 I had fun on Xmas when a longtime friend visited for a few hours, thanks! I am glad yours was wonderful!
🤡🤡🤡
Hope you had a great Christmas, Professor! Love Cherish and Never, My Love. Always love how wholesome and sweet those songs sound with their beautiful harmonies. Great video as always! 🙏
During the 1966-68 era, The Association was my absolute favorite American band. Their two albums on Valiant were sensational. I was sad when Gary/Jules left but Larry did a fine job in replacement. Two songs that fell between Cherish and Windy that don't get the recognition they deserve were Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies, a psychedelic masterpiece written by Jules, and No Fair at All (written by Jim) which really showcased Jim's angelic voice. I encourage anyone who likes the songs in this video to check them out if you're not familiar.
Have you seen their performance at Monterey Pop?
@@seed_drill7135 Yes, great performance!
Every once in a while I pull up Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies on youtube. Underrated number.
They were supposed to play locally a couple years before the pandemic with Al Stewart on the bill, but it was cancelled due to poor sales. We didn't get the memo and drove to an empty parking lot. @@blinky705 😞
So nice that you interview such wonderful people. You bring these classics back to life and give them deeper meaning.
I had forgotten much of how good they really were. Part of many experiences of my life . Great interview.
Thank you for this. They are a grossly underrated band. Saw them at least six times over the years and their vocal harmonies were always on point.
Love The Association. During the mid-to-late 1960's, they recorded so many great mellow, pop-rock songs including "Cherish", "Windy", "Never My :Love" and so much more. I always wondered what happened to them and why we didn't hear anything new from them in the 1970's. That's why I tune in regularly to The Professor Of Rock Music Channel.
THanks Stephen!
Isn't "Never My Love" a Beatles cover?
I was thinking that they kept making music but it wasn’t going anywhere, so they just disbanded.
Me, too, Stephen. Professor of Rock brings back a lot of the great songs and explains them to us and younger people.
@@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398no it’s not
Everything That Touches You and Requiem are my favorite Association tracks though the three in the top 25 are stellar compositions and recordings. I'm thrilled these guys are getting some "posthumous" recognition.Their vocal harmonies are dead on and so uplifting. And their arrangements! That is creativity at its best.
Thanks Professor for the great interview and history! As a young teenager, my big sister took me to my first rock concert in the SF Bay Area with The Association, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and Tommy James and the Shondells, not long after Cherish was released. Wow, what a show! Those truly were the days!
The Association was the favorite band, along with The Beatles, from 1966 to 1968, for me and my first love Linda. “Cherish” was our song. Every time I hear those songs they make me cry. Ah memories of youth and young love…I was in college and she was in high school then. I thought it would last forever and we would get married, but it wasn’t to be.
Now I am with my soul mate wife Sandra and she has filled that empty void I had in my heart for many years.
great interview professor. good to see the band members still here, happy and healthy and telling the old stories.
THanks!
My favorite story associated with The Association (had to go there) has to do with the accompaniment to "Along Comes Mary", one I've typed out here before. My personal Chicago fandom led me to read a mini-biography of former bassist Jason Scheff's father, session bassist Jerry Scheff. Apparently, his first session job was in the accompaniment of "Along Comes Mary". Near the end, he flubbed one note and asked Curt Boettcher if he could rewind the tape so Jerry could rectify it. Boettcher couldn't pick up on it, so it stayed. Subsequently, Jerry caught an instrumental muzak cover at a supermarket - complete with flub. Back when MP3 sharing was still completely free, before it became harnessed by Apple and Amazon, I actually got a copy of the song so I could listen to it and find Jerry's mistake.
Then, there's a mistake a dear friend of mine made with another Association gem. He thought it was called "Wendy". I had to inform him it's titled "Windy". He's a baby boomer who lived through the 60s, and I wasn't even alive yet when The Association was cutting records!
Thanks Eric!
I’ve always wondered why it was called Windy, because who names a kid that? But anyway, I think the song is catchy enough!
Most kids are windy.And some adults.
"Requiem for the Masses" is a personal favorite. Not many would understand the Greek and Latin parts...
Great song!
Dittos, @dave. I had all their albums, and the Requiem stood out to me as a song that took courage to sing, especially at that time. And, of course, impeccably produced.
BUT, without question Everything That Touches You was my all-time favorite. Relentless, powerful, driving of very deep, emotional lyrics. I still tear up as the song progresses--The happy alternative to Cherish, which was every bit as relentless and deep, but sad.
I forgot about that one.
Yes, Requiem for the Masses was an awesome song. Yes I do understand the Latin and Greek parts. Like Larry Ramos, I was a Catholic seminary survivor, studied Latin for 5 years. Requiem refers to the Catholic Requiem Mass, the funeral Mass, to see somebody off to the Great Beyond. Kyrie eleison is Greek, means Lord, have mercy . The story of the and is about some poor soldier in Vietnam , who just took a bullet and wandered off into the jungle to die. What were the last thoughts going thru his head as he bled out and finally expired. Realizing that he had been told the Greatest Lie Ever Told. That war is fun ,war is glorious,etc. Too late for him now.
The Association was a great band for kids in the mid-60s and their transistor radios. We could place the radio on our pillows and fall asleep listening to the music we loved.
The transistor radio meant the world to me growing up near Detroit, MI, and Ontario, Canada. I got to listen to all kinds of music from the Rock era. And late at night after the radio stations went off the air, I could pick up Chicago's WCFL radio station and listen to great classic radio skit shows, like Chicken Man and of course great Rock and Roll too. For being so small the Transistor Radio looms huge in my teen-years memories.
So much of their oeuvre sounds like chant. The harmonies really sell the songs. My sister and I loved The Association, growing up, and were always singing their songs. Thanks for the information and the interview!
The Wrecking Crew played the backing tracks on their songs. The combination of the superb vocals of The Association and the incredible studio musicians made the timeless hits that have stood the test of time.
Most of us, if wrecking Crew did play, on the album, really don't care. We are here for the Association, not the wrecking crew. Make a list of all the singers, groups, and solo acts they performed, then start doing videos on your favorite musicians. By the way name your source when you input information on a subject
@@billyhancock7851 yes, the wrecking crew played as the backing bands for most of the records that came out of the Los Angeles recording studios 60’s-70’s including this classic. Not sure why that information seemed to upset billyhancock but I guarantee there are many fans who love hearing some inside information. Hal Blain -drums, joe Osborne -bass, Al Kasey Guitar. A few more. They were the 1st calll session guys and played on thousands of records. There’s a brilliant documentary about them titled “the wrecking crew’. If you love music and background info, (and assuming you watch the professor of rock you do, rent “the wrecking crew” doc
I was born as their string of hits was coming to an end, so I was aware of them post popularity but while radio still had some of their hits on their playlists. I remember that when I was little, I thought they were saying "Sherry Shoe", not "Cherish you". I did grow up enjoying their hits on the radio.
Ha ha! Thanks for sharing!
You’re confusing them with Frankie Valli! Staaaaaahp.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Even my young self isn't mistaking those (relatively) deep vocals for Frankie Valli...
I loved The Association! They're songs are classic.Cherish and Never my love are a big part of my music memories!❤❤
Agreed! Part of the soundtrack of our lives!
They’re a 60s treasure.
My first Album - The Associations Greatest Hits. I think back in 69 or 70. I still have it.
Incredible harmony. Cherish does send chills. ❤
Everything that Touches You is one of my favorite songs! The Association is sooo underrated.
Agreed. So many great songs!
"Everything" is such a beautiful song!!! Never got much airplay, but if you bought the album, you could play it all the time!! My favorite was "Six Man Band"!! That buzzin' guitar still haunts me today!!✌️
That’s a great choice!