this is what happens when the greedy labels insist you sell music, not make music. and now robots are doing it so it's not music. so glad i grew up in the 70's / 80's.
I don't mean to put negative in at all, but this song has always been important to me. When I was 10, my dad took his own life. On a trip to see relatives sometime afterwards with my mom and sibling, I looked out the window at the moon and stars while lying in the back seat of our car and this song came on. It wasn't new, but made me feel like somehow everything was going to be okay. It's been an oasis for me ever since. His story of how it came to be makes it even better.
Not negative, it's beautiful. So sorry to hear of your loss at such a young age. Thank you for sharing a treasured story of beauty from pain. Music is powerful.
@@glennstep1 Thanks a lot Glenn. I think Bruce was inspired writing this, even if he thought it was just about meeting girls at the beginning. It's all sacred and healing kind of. How would he have known some kid would randomly hear it while looking out at a night sky in the back of a car. Like you said, it's powerful.
When I was a kid., my brother took me to see Starbuck at the dome in Ogdensburg NY. We were early and the parking lot was empty. The band was arrived and were so wonderful! They played frisbee with my brother and his friends, and we got to sit on the floor in front of the stage for the concert. I will never forget that, and whenever I hear this song it takes me right back and makes me smile. Thank you!
I was waiting to find out if he got the girl. When he said "we've been married 51 years," my laughter and tears were unstopable! Wonderful, simply wonderful.
I love how he is all dressed up, and how you let him speak. So many people doing interviews these days keep interrupting the subject of their interview and it drives me nuts. I'll think of this now every time I hear the song and I'll appreciate it much more.
Hey Professor Rock, I’m Grace, Clayton’s wife. Love Moonlight Feels Right ❤Can’t get enough of it, it’s my favorite song. Really enjoyed watching the video on the facts about how Bruce Blackman got the inspiration for this song and how Ronnie Van Zant was giving him under pressure when he only had 5 minutes to complete the vocals. Lynyrd Skynyrd is Clayton’s favorite band BTW. It’s so good to know things about this song that I never knew before. Thank you so much for sharing this. Much appreciated, Grace 😊
@@kathyh4804 Me too gf!! Me too! I was 9 yrs old n 1970 so that was my life as a teenager n those years! It was a much much more simple & more innocent time by today's standards. Wish kids of today could have grown up n that time. So much less stress n those days!! It's sad. 😢💛🖤💛😢
As a teen, I worked at Six Flags Over Georgia from the spring of 1975 through the summer of 1976. I was walking through the park one day and saw Starbuck playing on one of the park's small stages. I stopped and listened during my whole lunch break. I had no idea who they were, but remember hearing Moonlight Feels Right as I was standing there.
@@ProfessorofRockAbsolutely! There has to be some that stand out more for many reasons. Even though i’m an old guy that has to get up and harvest firewood for next winter tomorrow, i have to finish watching, and then listen to a few song b/4 bed. ⛰🌲👨🌾🇺🇸🇺🇸
@@robertfitch310. That seems like a rewarding job tho. Im a 73 yr old lady that would love that kinda lifestyle. The happiest I have ever been was when I lived in a cabin on a small island off Vancouver Island, BC, Canada (& I lived in Laguna & Newport Beach, CA) where I had my healing business, Raynebeau Studio of Healing Arts, that I offered guests when they came to my Bed & Breakfast, where I made healthy food/everything from scratch, with love. 💟 Ps. They had a MARIMBA band @ the farmers market square EVERY WEEK!! Damn, they were good and I like to dance 💃🏼 I miss Saltspring Island
I'm a punk rocker and one of my guilty pleasures is this song and that amazing marimba solo. You don't have to be on the bow of a yacht to appreciate this song!
I’m a Hairband 80s Rock guy all day long. But when I first heard this song, I freaking fell in love with it. I cannot believe how awesome the story is and how he wrote this song.
I like this guy. He has a terrific personality, and you can't help but love him. I'll bet he's been a hoot to hang around all his life. The best part, he married that woman. I really respect people for going for something they truly love, and he loves this woman. This has to be one of my favorites that the Prof of Rock has done.
Mr. Blackman is quite possibly the most charming gentleman I've ever heard. Would love to meet him and just have him tell stories. So good! Great interview.
We celebrated our 51st anniversary yesterday. I picked the best guy for me! Still like the same music! What a great musician! Thank you Professor of Rock!
Long before people started calling it "Yacht Rock," I always referred to it as "Redondo Beach Music." Songs like "Moonlight Feels Right," Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street," and Seals and Crofts "Summer Breeze" remind me of going to the Redondo Beach pier as a kid in the 70's. If you ever spent time at the arcade there (The Fun Factory), these songs are permanently engraved into your memory!
When I was a kid/teenager, my mom and my siblings used to take trips from our hometown, Bakersfield, over to the coast-- usually either Morro Bay or Pismo, or sometimes north to Moonstone Beach or south toward San Diego. Camping at the beach was my favorite thing, and this, along with many others, such as Fleetwood Mac, Beach Boys, the bands you mentioned, and some others, were the only music my mom and I could agree we both liked-- we dubbed those tunes/bands "beach music". Good memories. 😎
I love this song! What people refer to as “Yacht Rock” I have always called “AM Gold”. Those awesome, smooth, songs from the 70’s make me feel good and remind me of childhood….laying in bed at night listening to my radio, but not loud enough for mom and dad to hear. Thanks for highlighting this one Adam. Excellent work.
What a great interview!. Bruce is still sharp as a tack (remembers the roadie's name). I never tire of that song and always crank it up to 11 for the great marimba solo. He may be a "one-hit-wonder," but he's done well for himself - married to the same woman, beautiful home, etc.
I worked in a shop building yachts. Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley had two yachts built at the shop I worked at. I specialized in finish work fixing any blemishes leading to finish. We always had loud radio playing in the shop and this song was played often. Christie told me to use her music player while I was working on the boat at the dock. She had a bunch of country CDs and she favored country over Billy's stuff! Had some great times at the shop, retired now!
Was that Blue Hill Maine? We were in an old house lovely B&B and Billy Joel came in with his entourage to check in his boat being built near there. Many years ago, obviously
What a brilliant interview. The White Hat guy is so musically smart. Music in every cell of his being. I loved that song way back. I don't know what year that was. And I haven't heard it since then. So, now I'm going to find it and listen without any interruptions. What a lovely, talented man. That marimba solo just made the song. That was one of the reasons I liked it so much. I've been with MY guy for 57 years. I knew him a week. These things happen. Moonlight. Feels Right.
The marimba was mind blowing! One or two notes would have been clever enough, but this guy instilled fear into any band trying to cover this song! The song is fabulous! The songwriting process was masterful! Because this song is so unique, I am very pleased that you chose to review it.
Nothing like a gentleman withe a Southern accent. Absolutely beautiful. My favorite Professor of Rock so far. Thank you for sharing this fun story of a favorite song. ❤
I graduated high school in '76 and after graduation a few of us spent a week at the Jersey shore. We sat at the beach at night and listened to this song. Hearing this instantly brought me back to those nights, some of the happiest of my life. Thanks for bringing back those wonderful memories.
It's taken almost 50 years, but I finally know the back story to this smooth classic. Thanks professor, for once again fleshing out the details that I had no clue about. Moonlight absolutely feels right, even after all these decades. Congrats on your inevitable one million subscribers. You deserve it.
As someone who wrote something about this song on the internet (but probably not anything Bruce Blackman ever read), I got the concept a bit wrong and I'm happy to hear the whole story. I'm also happy to confirm that Bo Wagner really *did* nail the marimba solo in one take. Phenomenal. And RIP, Bo.
I don't know if I've ever heard this song or the band Starbuck before but the story is utterly captivating and Bruce Blackman is a raconteur of the highest order. That he gives piano accompaniment to his story is pure gold. And he's a pinnacle of style, to boot! Truly a gem of an interview and episode. The variety of great music out there from the last forty years is just so vast-- thanks to the Professor for pointing out these lesser-known hits.
I remember EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard this song on the radio. I was 7 and a pool had opened up at the end of our street. It was a hot summer in Erie, and we were all trying to cool down. I had climbed out of the deep end of the pool and bought a marshmallow ice cream cone. Since (back then) I couldn't go back into the pool for an hour, I sat in the sun and ate my treat while 'Uncle Albert', 'Rock Me Gently, and 'Afternoon Delight' played over the loud speakers. Then THIS gorgeous song came on and I fell in love with it. And like that, it disappeared from radio. I think it was twenty years before I heard it again. Now, thanks to XM and Yacht Rock--and RUclips--I can now hear this great song to my heart's content. Thank you, Mr Blackman, for writing this beautiful song so it could be a part of the soundtrack of my life.
Kate, I love what you wrote! I'm a bit older, I was a teen during the 70s, but I can relate to your memories absolutely! For me it was the huge pool at Vickery Park in Dallas, which had a great jukebox and loudspeakers. The songs that take me back to that are Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime", and the Eric Burdon & War "Spill The Wine". Vickery Park was torn down in the 1970s because the property was very valuable. It's all upscale restaurants now.😢 Years later, my brother had a cover band that played local dive bars. One night, at a particularly rough biker bar called the "Old Boot and Saddle", affectionately known as the "Old BS", some drunk biker chick was annoying everyone by yanking other women's hair and throwing punches. She hurt one chick, and her boyfriend knocked the drunk girl out with one punch. To quote Thin Lizzy; "Man, we just fell about the place... If that chick don't wanna know, forget her!"😂 My brother's band didn't know that song unfortunately, so he decided to change up some lyrics of "Spill The Wine" and changed the chorus to a "call and response" with the crowd. He sang, "Did I hit that girl?" as his backup singer answered with, "Oh yes you did!" until most of us joined in with that response too. The drunk girl was fine, she was more passed out than knocked out. No one called the cops, we just went back to drinking and dancing badly. Good times!😵💫
I was 20 in 1976 and, initially, I didn't care for this song, but the more I heard it, the more it grew on me. Today I love it and can appreciate how great it really is.
@LoveMusicVariety We’re the same age, but I loved this song the minute I heard it . There was just something about it! It was the summer of 1976, my husband and I were newlyweds moving into a little rental house in San Fernando, California. It was hot and I had to unpack all of our worldly goods while my husband was at work, and I was not looking forward to the chore. This song came over the radio (KNX-FM) and I perked up immediately! I don’t know what happened, but I felt the exuberance of a young woman in love, setting up a home. A nice breeze came through the window and I was filled with hope for our future. We’re still married, by the way!
It reminds me of my childhood days, of being happy & carefree., And camping with friends and family. Thank-you. It still is one of my All time favorites ! ❤🎤🎼🎵🎹
This was an especially good interview, and the icing on the cake was knowing that Bruce's wife was the subject and inspiration for the song and they have been married all of these years. This is the kind of back-story that is what I would wish for so many of those old great songs.
I listen to every one of your shows, and that was one of the best interviews you’ve ever done. What a charming dude, and his voice still sounds great. Everything about that song story was fun to listen to. Thanks .
Omg, this song takes me back to the summer of 76, I was on summer break from nursing school and head over heals for a young soldier in the Army Old Guard in Arlington, VA. It was the Bicentennial, so I watched him him and the Guard performing at special events, got to see the Queen of England, and we spent the 4th of July watching the DC Bible fireworks in each other's arms. And every time we turned around, "Moonlight Feels Right" was on the radio. I still get the warm fuzzies every time i hear it!❤
@@TRUTHandLIGHT4809 1. The lunar tides, since we're singing about the moon. 2. Mr Mojo risin', if ya catch my meaning. 3. This song takes place in Baltimore, and she went to Ol' Miss and graduated in '74 ...but we don't know where he (the character in the song, not Bruce Blackman himself) went to school. I bet it was the University of Alabama.
This is one of those songs that has always been a delight to hear when it comes on the radio, because it's not overplayed. It has a consummate 70s sound that just feels like a groove, not dissimilar to Norma Greenbaum's Spirt in the Sky.
I remember this song. May 1976, just before I got out of the Army. This song went head to head with Afternoon Delight. In the long run, Moonlight Feels Right is the winner. It's a classic that will be around for years. Thanks for the memories.
Song from my childhood days of listening to Top 40 music. Found it recently on RUclips and rediscovered it. Doesn't get enough credit for its unique sound, songwriting and musicianship. Great production using synth, percussion and marimba for atmosphere, matching the lyrics perfectly. And c'mon, those are some highly suggestive lyrics before the "dirty laugh". They went right over my head when I was 9, but I know exactly what they're about now, which is what the lost art of suggestive lyrics in Top 40 is all about.
Professor, you know how I know you make an impact? Because this song was never one I connected with but after seeing this interview I definitely have a much better appreciation for this song. Thank you for making a difference in my life. 🥰
The good old days of music junior high to halfway through college was spot on whatever genre was playing during that stage of your life. We'll stick with you forever.
This guy is having the time of his life with you. Perhaps he’ll write another hit!? Adam, thanks for giving space during the interview. Many will interrupt and step on their answers. Well done my friend.
Man. Your interviews are amazing. Thanks for taking the time to do these and of course thanks to the artist who take their time to chat with you! Amazing stuff!
One of the reasons I love your interviews, Prof, is your timing. You know when to slip in with a quip, a question, a comment, and even a proper musical description. You also know when to just be quiet and let the story unfold. You did that perfectly, again, with Bruce. Great story teller. I was in elementary school from the mid to late 70's. My older sisters were in high school and really influenced my musical choices. I remember that Starbuck Album in their collection. Great memories. And great camera work with the webcam from the laptop, and the profile cam. That was a cool way to do this one.
Professor, I don't think I've ever enjoyed an episode of your show as much as I've enjoyed this one. I've been in love with this song since it first came out. There's something so magical about it. To hear the man himself telling about how the song came about, the inspiration, the happenstances. Everything came together to make a truly exceptionally wonderful masterpiece. Even the white hat. A few months ago, I posted this song on FB and commented that the girl sung about in this song, wearing a class of seven four gold ring, would be 71 now. I often wondered if she's real. Well, now I know, and to hear that they're still married just brought a big ol' smile to my face. I had no idea he was a Southern gentleman, but being from Mississippi myself, I should have known. There's no hopeless romantic like a Southern hopeless romantic. Now if you'll excuse me, gonna go put this song on loop and chill. Peace!
What a great back story around the genesis of the song. And kudos to Bruce for being persistent with his love interest. It certainly worked out for them.
I was 5 years old when this song came out and I can remember it playing on the radio. I remember a lot of songs from the 70's playing on the radio at such an early age because my mom would always have music playing on the radio in the car and the radio playing on a big console stereo in our home especially on the weekends and at night there was a lot of T.V. programs dedicated to showing the singers and bands performing the music we heard on the radio. I have heard a lot of songs on the Professor of Rock that I have long forgot and I appreciate you for that. Thank you!
What a great story about this song. I loved this song when it came out. I was 15 years old. We had moved from Louisiana to Seattle in 1973 and went back and spent the entire ❤summer of 1976 back In Louisiana visiting family. This song was on the radio like crazy. Every time I hear this song I have fond memories of that summer. I still love this song to this day. I was always surprised Starbuck never really had another hit..
This is no doubt one of the greatest one hit wonders in history. I listen to this one daily. I loved it when it came out, and I still do. Love the backstory.
I live on Lake Ontario, and this song makes me think of of being on a boat in the evening, zipping over the water. I love it. And the kaugh just sound kind of happy and carefree.
I was in 10th grade when this song came out. Years later I did drop the top at Chesapeake Bay. And what a great guy! He is 100% correct. Music from middle school through the first few years of college stays with you forever.
I never thought of this song as anything but a sweet way to spend a summer day. Pure intentions and wholesome fun. I miss songs like this in today's music
For me, one of those "background" type songs that I didn't really like, but would find myself subconsciously humming sometimes, and then get pissed that I was.
I call that false nostalgia, and it definitely applies to this song. Another one for me is “Drops of Jupiter,” by Train. I hear it come on and the familiarity of how much they played the hell out of it gets me starting to get into it, then I realize what song it is and it annoys the crap out of me.
I was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi, so hearing Bruce mention reading the farm report on a local station got me reminiscing about the good old days, being a kid, listening to the radio in the 70's. Always loved this song too.
It takes me back to days when I was young & beautiful & had just become a Mom for the first time, & I wd play this song & rock my little angel to sleep. It was so smooth & soothing she wd fall asleep in no time. Plus I just loved the song. Great memories 👍❣️🥰🫠
Love this song! Hearing it instantly takes me back to the Summer of ‘76 when I was just a little kid running around the neighborhood playing with my friends. Sunny skies, long hot days, popsicles, ice cream trucks, games of tag and catching lightning bugs at dusk. It was the bicentennial and the whole Summer there was a party everywhere you went. At that age everything was fresh, filled with wonder, and hope. An awesome soundtrack poured from radios everywhere as we enjoyed the seemingly endless freedom of childhood.
This song always takes me right back to the golden 70’s summers with my cousins and all the fun we shared but recently, my mom and I were driving through “In & Out” burgers and “Moonlight” came on SiriusXM. As we were leaving the parking lot the Marimba solo was about to start and I just had to pull over and point out to my mom that “this was an actual guy, playing an actual Marimba!”, and I further explained that this was before synthesizers had a competent Marimba sound and that computer sequencing wasn’t even available yet so yes, this guy had to be this good to do this live to tape! Needless to say, mom was impressed, and I was just happy to be reminded once again that I grew up with some of the best music ever.
I did a blog post about this song and the marimba solo in particular. Bo Wagner turned up and commented (unless someone was doing an extremely pointless imitation). I played percussion in college, and he was thrilled that someone who knew the marimba was writing about it. Sadly, he passed away in 2017. But that blog post kept getting traffic for years because people keep searching for info about this song and THAT solo, which still blows my mind.
Great show, Thanks for allowing us to listen to the interview with Bruce and not cutting it into bits. You allowed him to talk to us through your listening to him.
Every time I hear this song a flood of wonderful memories come back to me. The story makes me love the song even more, thanks. I was 21 in 1976, from southeast Baltimore County Md, I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay. We would cruise down to Ocean City (3hr drive) "take you on a trip beside the ocean", just to hang out on the board walk and the beach and swim in the ocean. I was so much in love with my 1st wife (girl friend at the time) we would sit for hour and "lay back and observe the constellations And watch the moon smilin' bright" Just to be together was magical then, to ""see the sun come up on Sunday morning And watch it fade the moon away" together. And of course I was always "ready for a wet kiss." And yes "southern belles are hell at night." Yep, "Moonlight Feels right"
![Finesse2Tymes & Og Boo Dirty - Real Recognize Real [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3xb4bl5PWF8/mqdefault.jpg)
Poll: What is your pick for the MOST 70s song of the 1970s. The ONE that REPRESENTS the decade perfectly?
STH
Seals & Crofts "Summer Breeze"
Rock and Roll All Night by KISS.
1977 by the Clash.
New Kid in Town Eagles
If you used a number 2 pencil to rewind your cassette tapes, this channel is for you.
I did, indeed! 😂😂😂❤
Yep!😄
If you used S&H Green Stamps to buy the cassette, this channel is for you.
I used clear Bic pens 👍
Haha many times.
Married 51 years to the woman who turned him down twice. That’s amazing to me. Congratulations!!!
He looked like he was 51 in that video.
@@mneugent7658
Which video? The current one, or the one from the 1970s?
@@jimwerther The one from the 70's where he's singing the song. But adults did look much more mature back then. OK, they looked older
Today, asking her more than once would be considered stalking and sexual harassment.
@@mneugent7658
Yup
I love that he dressed up for this interview. Classy fellow.
That’s called southern class
Agree
Love his socks!
I was thinking Pure class as I watched this video. 👍
Yeah, nothing classier than a portrait of yourself in your home - What a douchebag.
Music used to magical. No tricks, just pure magic. I miss those days. At least we have the recordings.
Agree with you !
this is what happens when the greedy labels insist you sell music, not make music. and now robots are doing it so it's not music. so glad i grew up in the 70's / 80's.
bsolutely
I don't mean to put negative in at all, but this song has always been important to me. When I was 10, my dad took his own life. On a trip to see relatives sometime afterwards with my mom and sibling, I looked out the window at the moon and stars while lying in the back seat of our car and this song came on. It wasn't new, but made me feel like somehow everything was going to be okay. It's been an oasis for me ever since. His story of how it came to be makes it even better.
❤
Not negative, it's beautiful. So sorry to hear of your loss at such a young age. Thank you for sharing a treasured story of beauty from pain. Music is powerful.
@@glennstep1 Thanks a lot Glenn. I think Bruce was inspired writing this, even if he thought it was just about meeting girls at the beginning. It's all sacred and healing kind of. How would he have known some kid would randomly hear it while looking out at a night sky in the back of a car. Like you said, it's powerful.
@@sharonbowers9929 Thanks a lot Sharon.
Wow! Good to hear that this song helped you though a very difficult time. Gives hope to others.
When I was a kid., my brother took me to see Starbuck at the dome in Ogdensburg NY. We were early and the parking lot was empty. The band was arrived and were so wonderful! They played frisbee with my brother and his friends, and we got to sit on the floor in front of the stage for the concert. I will never forget that, and whenever I hear this song it takes me right back and makes me smile. Thank you!
😲😃
I was waiting to find out if he got the girl. When he said "we've been married 51 years," my laughter and tears were unstopable! Wonderful, simply wonderful.
It is the perfect back-story and one you would wish for many of those great classics from back in the day.
Same!
Yep🎉🎉that was great
I love how he is all dressed up, and how you let him speak. So many people doing interviews these days keep interrupting the subject of their interview and it drives me nuts. I'll think of this now every time I hear the song and I'll appreciate it much more.
I agree!
Definitely agree.
Agree. Classy.
Was looking to say this myself, thanks.
Exactly
Hey Professor Rock, I’m Grace, Clayton’s wife. Love Moonlight Feels Right ❤Can’t get enough of it, it’s my favorite song. Really enjoyed watching the video on the facts about how Bruce Blackman got the inspiration for this song and how Ronnie Van Zant was giving him under pressure when he only had 5 minutes to complete the vocals. Lynyrd Skynyrd is Clayton’s favorite band BTW. It’s so good to know things about this song that I never knew before. Thank you so much for sharing this. Much appreciated, Grace 😊
You turned him down twice!! 😁
Peggy?
Thanks for sharing your memories! I'm so glad things worked out for both of you!
Who’s Clayton?
@@mem1701movies She is using his youtube account to comment.
The farm report story and the white hat story makes this song that much greater! Man do I miss the 70's...such a simpler time.
Amen to that statement man!! Much more simpler & happier time for sure!! 💛🖤💛
My heart goes out to the youth of today! The 70s were pretty crazy but it was a much different world …. Miss the “old” days
AMEN ! No one misses those days more than me , in "76" the wonderful bicentennial year i was 16.
@@kathyh4804 Me too gf!! Me too! I was 9 yrs old n 1970 so that was my life as a teenager n those years! It was a much much more simple & more innocent time by today's standards. Wish kids of today could have grown up n that time. So much less stress n those days!! It's sad. 😢💛🖤💛😢
I’d give just about anything to be back in the mid-late 70’s.
At 81 years old, I still love this song ! 🇦🇺🇦🇺
I'm 72 and love it also. Bruce is from my hometown. Great guy.
As a teen, I worked at Six Flags Over Georgia from the spring of 1975 through the summer of 1976. I was walking through the park one day and saw Starbuck playing on one of the park's small stages. I stopped and listened during my whole lunch break. I had no idea who they were, but remember hearing Moonlight Feels Right as I was standing there.
I saw them summer of 75 at Disneyland! Great guys, signed autographs, that song was ON FIRE that summer!
Love this song I’m 70
He's a true Southern Gent, and sayings are just rockin" .
He's one cool cat.
For sure! Hey Neil!
I live in Coastal Georgia and this guy reminds me of the best sort of southern gentleman. Would love to have this guy as a friend.
That has to be the chillest interview with a cool guy you've done yet.
Is that a good thing?
Yes! I could’ve watched and listened to this for hours! Both of them were in no rush, just talking and having a great time !
@@ProfessorofRockAbsolutely! There has to be some that stand out more for many reasons. Even though i’m an old guy that has to get up and harvest firewood for next winter tomorrow, i have to finish watching, and then listen to a few song b/4 bed. ⛰🌲👨🌾🇺🇸🇺🇸
Beck ya!
@@robertfitch310. That seems like a rewarding job tho. Im a 73 yr old lady that would love that kinda lifestyle.
The happiest I have ever been was when I lived in a cabin on a small island off Vancouver Island, BC, Canada (& I lived in Laguna & Newport Beach, CA) where I had my healing business, Raynebeau Studio of Healing Arts, that I offered guests when they came to my Bed & Breakfast, where I made healthy food/everything from scratch, with love. 💟
Ps. They had a MARIMBA band @ the farmers market square EVERY WEEK!!
Damn, they were good and I like to dance 💃🏼
I miss Saltspring Island
One of my favorite songs of the 1970s. "The wind blew some luck in my direction ..." Love it!
I'm a punk rocker and one of my guilty pleasures is this song and that amazing marimba solo. You don't have to be on the bow of a yacht to appreciate this song!
I’m a Hairband 80s Rock guy all day long. But when I first heard this song, I freaking fell in love with it. I cannot believe how awesome the story is and how he wrote this song.
Very cool!
Me too. The song is so unique.
I am the very same lol. One of my Favorite songs Ever. This interview is Great !
If Gene Hackman was involved directly or indirectly it has to be pure gold !! And it helps that song is pure ear candy !
Ha ha!
How about the movie HEAD.
This sweet gentleman sent me his CD signed .. I will never forget .. ❤
❤❤
I like this guy. He has a terrific personality, and you can't help but love him. I'll bet he's been a hoot to hang around all his life.
The best part, he married that woman. I really respect people for going for something they truly love, and he loves this woman. This has to be one of my favorites that the Prof of Rock has done.
So much talent, a pure true musician. The one hit wonders from the 70s are better than any music today.
What a song and what a story!
Amen!
Mr. Blackman is quite possibly the most charming gentleman I've ever heard. Would love to meet him and just have him tell stories. So good! Great interview.
A true Southern Gentleman! ❤️
We celebrated our 51st anniversary yesterday. I picked the best guy for me! Still like the same music! What a great musician! Thank you Professor of Rock!
Long before people started calling it "Yacht Rock," I always referred to it as "Redondo Beach Music." Songs like "Moonlight Feels Right," Gerry Rafferty's "Baker Street," and Seals and Crofts "Summer Breeze" remind me of going to the Redondo Beach pier as a kid in the 70's. If you ever spent time at the arcade there (The Fun Factory), these songs are permanently engraved into your memory!
Same here. I called it 70s light rock before Yacht Rock but I love it either way. Add “right down the line” to that list.
@@jenniferhonohan4278 Good old Gerry Rafferty!
When I was a kid/teenager, my mom and my siblings used to take trips from our hometown, Bakersfield, over to the coast-- usually either Morro Bay or Pismo, or sometimes north to Moonstone Beach or south toward San Diego. Camping at the beach was my favorite thing, and this, along with many others, such as Fleetwood Mac, Beach Boys, the bands you mentioned, and some others, were the only music my mom and I could agree we both liked-- we dubbed those tunes/bands "beach music".
Good memories. 😎
That marimba solo made the song. Scary good.
That is easily the song’s best part.
I love this song! What people refer to as “Yacht Rock” I have always called “AM Gold”. Those awesome, smooth, songs from the 70’s make me feel good and remind me of childhood….laying in bed at night listening to my radio, but not loud enough for mom and dad to hear. Thanks for highlighting this one Adam. Excellent work.
Thank you for putting "Yacht Rock" in print! I've never heard this term, and I'm thinking, "What the heck is yot rock?" Now I get it 😂!
AM gold! I was there.
XROCK 80 El Paso Texas
I love it too (sometimes I call it 70's White People Music")
I call it music i listened to in high school
I remember this song playing on the radio as a little kid…wow I could listen to him for hours…such a kind man, with great socks and tie!
The snappy outfit makes the interview even better. Nice! Also…silent as a cemetery on a Tuesday afternoon…🤣
I loved when he said that! :)
"Moonlight" is one of my favorite songs. A dreamy, sweet summer romance of a song.
Same here! So good!
I agree!
me too i was 6 years old Back in 1976, Loved it. for years i thought the Marimba solo was a xylophone. Same concept though.
@@ProfessorofRock Great interview, I would also add another song Starbuck did as a hit as well, ""Everybody Be Dancin'."
@@MetalHeart8787 I was 22 years old at that time and I really enjoyed that song.
What a great interview!. Bruce is still sharp as a tack (remembers the roadie's name). I never tire of that song and always crank it up to 11 for the great marimba solo. He may be a "one-hit-wonder," but he's done well for himself - married to the same woman, beautiful home, etc.
I worked in a shop building yachts. Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley had two yachts built at the shop I worked at. I specialized in finish work fixing any blemishes leading to finish. We always had loud radio playing in the shop and this song was played often. Christie told me to use her music player while I was working on the boat at the dock. She had a bunch of country CDs and she favored country over Billy's stuff! Had some great times at the shop, retired now!
Was that Blue Hill Maine? We were in an old house lovely B&B and Billy Joel came in with his entourage to check in his boat being built near there. Many years ago, obviously
What a brilliant interview. The White Hat guy is so musically smart. Music in every cell of his being. I loved that song way back. I don't know what year that was. And I haven't heard it since then. So, now I'm going to find it and listen without any interruptions. What a lovely, talented man. That marimba solo just made the song. That was one of the reasons I liked it so much. I've been with MY guy for 57 years. I knew him a week. These things happen. Moonlight. Feels Right.
❤❤❤
The marimba was mind blowing! One or two notes would have been clever enough, but this guy instilled fear into any band trying to cover this song! The song is fabulous! The songwriting process was masterful! Because this song is so unique, I am very pleased that you chose to review it.
Nothing like a gentleman withe a Southern accent. Absolutely beautiful. My favorite Professor of Rock so far. Thank you for sharing this fun story of a favorite song. ❤
What a great backstory to this 70s hit. This guy was a joy to listen to. Great job Professor.
This interview made me tear up. Miss the 70s. 😢❤
This is the highest compliment to you and Bruce Blackman....
I never really cared for this song. ... Until now.
Same.
What a class act. We are all better having had this song in our lives.
I graduated high school in '76 and after graduation a few of us spent a week at the Jersey shore. We sat at the beach at night and listened to this song. Hearing this instantly brought me back to those nights, some of the happiest of my life. Thanks for bringing back those wonderful memories.
My favorite thing in the world is to learn the story behind the song. Thank you!
Bo Wagner's 'marimba solo' is absolutely outstanding!! Musically, it's perfect . . . One the greatest solos in pop-rock music!!
It's taken almost 50 years, but I finally know the back story to this smooth classic. Thanks professor, for once again fleshing out the details that I had no clue about. Moonlight absolutely feels right, even after all these decades. Congrats on your inevitable one million subscribers. You deserve it.
Thanks for listening!!!
The magic of songwriting.
Being a lifelong Baltimorean, I have always loved this song in a special hometown way. You gotta be happy when you hear this song.
Same here..
Amen! Takes me right back to being a kid running around that summer listening to WFBR
As someone who wrote something about this song on the internet (but probably not anything Bruce Blackman ever read), I got the concept a bit wrong and I'm happy to hear the whole story. I'm also happy to confirm that Bo Wagner really *did* nail the marimba solo in one take. Phenomenal. And RIP, Bo.
I don't know if I've ever heard this song or the band Starbuck before but the story is utterly captivating and Bruce Blackman is a raconteur of the highest order. That he gives piano accompaniment to his story is pure gold. And he's a pinnacle of style, to boot! Truly a gem of an interview and episode. The variety of great music out there from the last forty years is just so vast-- thanks to the Professor for pointing out these lesser-known hits.
Oh man! Baby Gerald!
I remember EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard this song on the radio. I was 7 and a pool had opened up at the end of our street. It was a hot summer in Erie, and we were all trying to cool down. I had climbed out of the deep end of the pool and bought a marshmallow ice cream cone. Since (back then) I couldn't go back into the pool for an hour, I sat in the sun and ate my treat while 'Uncle Albert', 'Rock Me Gently, and 'Afternoon Delight' played over the loud speakers. Then THIS gorgeous song came on and I fell in love with it. And like that, it disappeared from radio. I think it was twenty years before I heard it again. Now, thanks to XM and Yacht Rock--and RUclips--I can now hear this great song to my heart's content.
Thank you, Mr Blackman, for writing this beautiful song so it could be a part of the soundtrack of my life.
So cool!
Hey, my mom lived in Erie for a while.
Kate, I love what you wrote! I'm a bit older, I was a teen during the 70s, but I can relate to your memories absolutely!
For me it was the huge pool at Vickery Park in Dallas, which had a great jukebox and loudspeakers. The songs that take me back to that are Mungo Jerry's "In The Summertime", and the Eric Burdon & War "Spill The Wine".
Vickery Park was torn down in the 1970s because the property was very valuable. It's all upscale restaurants now.😢
Years later, my brother had a cover band that played local dive bars. One night, at a particularly rough biker bar called the "Old Boot and Saddle", affectionately known as the "Old BS", some drunk biker chick was annoying everyone by yanking other women's hair and throwing punches. She hurt one chick, and her boyfriend knocked the drunk girl out with one punch.
To quote Thin Lizzy;
"Man, we just fell about the place... If that chick don't wanna know, forget her!"😂
My brother's band didn't know that song unfortunately, so he decided to change up some lyrics of "Spill The Wine" and changed the chorus to a "call and response" with the crowd.
He sang, "Did I hit that girl?" as his backup singer answered with, "Oh yes you did!" until most of us joined in with that response too.
The drunk girl was fine, she was more passed out than knocked out.
No one called the cops, we just went back to drinking and dancing badly. Good times!😵💫
haha great story our pool.the lifeguards swim team coaches put speakers out next to the snack bar always had on am channel
What a great story! Took me back to the 70’s as I read it. Thanks!
I was 20 in 1976 and, initially, I didn't care for this song, but the more I heard it, the more it grew on me. Today I love it and can appreciate how great it really is.
@LoveMusicVariety We’re the same age, but I loved this song the minute I heard it . There was just something about it! It was the summer of 1976, my husband and I were newlyweds moving into a little rental house in San Fernando, California. It was hot and I had to unpack all of our worldly goods while my husband was at work, and I was not looking forward to the chore. This song came over the radio (KNX-FM) and I perked up immediately! I don’t know what happened, but I felt the exuberance of a young woman in love, setting up a home. A nice breeze came through the window and I was filled with hope for our future.
We’re still married, by the way!
I was 16 and felt exactly the same!❤
It reminds me of my childhood days, of being happy & carefree., And camping with friends and family. Thank-you. It still is one of my All time favorites ! ❤🎤🎼🎵🎹
I love how every aspect about this song was just organic, serendipity, blessings, and real talent. Very cool!
A picture of Peggy would have been wonderful to see as she was the true inspiration.
Google is your friend "Bruce Blackman wife Peggy" is enough. Try Images...
Google does give pictures of Bruce & Peggy. Lovely Couple. Peggy.. very pretty.
This was an especially good interview, and the icing on the cake was knowing that Bruce's wife was the subject and inspiration for the song and they have been married all of these years. This is the kind of back-story that is what I would wish for so many of those old great songs.
❤❤
Class of '74 here, born in Mississippi. Have always LOVED this song and never knew the story behind it!! Thank you!!
I listen to every one of your shows, and that was one of the best interviews you’ve ever done. What a charming dude, and his voice still sounds great. Everything about that song story was fun to listen to. Thanks .
Oh the 70’s …. I remember the song and loved the summer of 76. Bruce is a wonderful and humble man.
Omg, this song takes me back to the summer of 76, I was on summer break from nursing school and head over heals for a young soldier in the Army Old Guard in Arlington, VA. It was the Bicentennial, so I watched him him and the Guard performing at special events, got to see the Queen of England, and we spent the 4th of July watching the DC Bible fireworks in each other's arms. And every time we turned around, "Moonlight Feels Right" was on the radio. I still get the warm fuzzies every time i hear it!❤
I remember hearing this song on the radio back in the day. It was a cool song then as it is today.
"....make the tide rise again..." is a triple entendre., It's brilliant.
?
@@TRUTHandLIGHT4809 1. The lunar tides, since we're singing about the moon.
2. Mr Mojo risin', if ya catch my meaning.
3. This song takes place in Baltimore, and she went to Ol' Miss and graduated in '74 ...but we don't know where he (the character in the song, not Bruce Blackman himself) went to school. I bet it was the University of Alabama.
@@Drchainsaw77You'll need to explain point #3 a little more. I don't see any "French Connection."
@@TheLarryBrown It's not the French connection I'm talking about. I'm talking about the "tide" rising again in all three cases.
This is one of those songs that has always been a delight to hear when it comes on the radio, because it's not overplayed. It has a consummate 70s sound that just feels like a groove, not dissimilar to Norma Greenbaum's Spirt in the Sky.
I remember this song. May 1976, just before I got out of the Army. This song went head to head with Afternoon Delight. In the long run, Moonlight Feels Right is the winner. It's a classic that will be around for years. Thanks for the memories.
Oh no
It's Afternoon Delight!!!!!
But.......There's room for both
That gentleman and his story just made my day!! What a delightful man!
Starbuck this is an example of what the AM band was about!
He looks like Gallagher 🍉🔨
You nailed it.
Just like coffee.
AM Rock rules !!!!
Song from my childhood days of listening to Top 40 music. Found it recently on RUclips and rediscovered it. Doesn't get enough credit for its unique sound, songwriting and musicianship. Great production using synth, percussion and marimba for atmosphere, matching the lyrics perfectly. And c'mon, those are some highly suggestive lyrics before the "dirty laugh". They went right over my head when I was 9, but I know exactly what they're about now, which is what the lost art of suggestive lyrics in Top 40 is all about.
Professor, you know how I know you make an impact? Because this song was never one I connected with but after seeing this interview I definitely have a much better appreciation for this song. Thank you for making a difference in my life. 🥰
Wow, thank you!
The good old days of music junior high to halfway through college was spot on whatever genre was playing during that stage of your life. We'll stick with you forever.
Great story. - For about 2 decades you couldn't turn on a radio for more than a couple
hours without hearing this song. 👍
This guy is having the time of his life with you. Perhaps he’ll write another hit!?
Adam, thanks for giving space during the interview. Many will interrupt and step on their answers. Well done my friend.
Let's not forget Dancin in the Moonlight! 😊
OH, YES! :>)
King Harvest - yeah, great song, also!
I was only 18 in the summer of '76 and this song has always been one of my favorite tunes. It is part of the sound track of my youth.
This hit is WONDER. If a band makes a song this good, one is all they need to secure their place in pop history.
Man. Your interviews are amazing. Thanks for taking the time to do these and of course thanks to the artist who take their time to chat with you! Amazing stuff!
Glad you like them!
One of the reasons I love your interviews, Prof, is your timing. You know when to slip in with a quip, a question, a comment, and even a proper musical description. You also know when to just be quiet and let the story unfold. You did that perfectly, again, with Bruce. Great story teller. I was in elementary school from the mid to late 70's. My older sisters were in high school and really influenced my musical choices. I remember that Starbuck Album in their collection. Great memories. And great camera work with the webcam from the laptop, and the profile cam. That was a cool way to do this one.
Professor, I don't think I've ever enjoyed an episode of your show as much as I've enjoyed this one. I've been in love with this song since it first came out. There's something so magical about it. To hear the man himself telling about how the song came about, the inspiration, the happenstances. Everything came together to make a truly exceptionally wonderful masterpiece. Even the white hat. A few months ago, I posted this song on FB and commented that the girl sung about in this song, wearing a class of seven four gold ring, would be 71 now. I often wondered if she's real. Well, now I know, and to hear that they're still married just brought a big ol' smile to my face. I had no idea he was a Southern gentleman, but being from Mississippi myself, I should have known. There's no hopeless romantic like a Southern hopeless romantic. Now if you'll excuse me, gonna go put this song on loop and chill. Peace!
❤❤❤
This song is one of my Husband's absolute favorites! We were teenagers in the 70's. It is a great story!
Also, RIP to the epic marimba player, Bo Wagner. He wore that outfit like a boss, as both a young and older dude in live performances.
I loved that song in the 70's. A happy song, What a charming southern gentleman.
What a great back story around the genesis of the song. And kudos to Bruce for being persistent with his love interest. It certainly worked out for them.
This might be my favorite interview yet...thanks Professor!
I was 5 years old when this song came out and I can remember it playing on the radio. I remember a lot of songs from the 70's playing on the radio at such an early age because my mom would always have music playing on the radio in the car and the radio playing on a big console stereo in our home especially on the weekends and at night there was a lot of T.V. programs dedicated to showing the singers and bands performing the music we heard on the radio. I have heard a lot of songs on the Professor of Rock that I have long forgot and I appreciate you for that. Thank you!
Just discovered this song from a friend & i cannot stop playing it - sooooo coooool
What a great story about this song. I loved this song when it came out. I was 15 years old. We had moved from Louisiana to Seattle in 1973 and went back and spent the entire ❤summer of 1976 back In Louisiana visiting family. This song was on the radio like crazy. Every time I hear this song I have fond memories of that summer. I still love this song to this day. I was always surprised Starbuck never really had another hit..
This is no doubt one of the greatest one hit wonders in history. I listen to this one daily. I loved it when it came out, and I still do. Love the backstory.
I live on Lake Ontario, and this song makes me think of of being on a boat in the evening, zipping over the water. I love it. And the kaugh just sound kind of happy and carefree.
I was in 10th grade when this song came out. Years later I did drop the top at Chesapeake Bay. And what a great guy! He is 100% correct. Music from middle school through the first few years of college stays with you forever.
What a great interview. American by birth….Southern by Grace. “Quiet as a cemetery on Tuesday afternoon”. Love it. Hotty toddy!
I never thought of this song as anything but a sweet way to spend a summer day. Pure intentions and wholesome fun. I miss songs like this in today's music
No kidding!
I don't doubt that!
Yup, this song just brings real joy.
Three minutes forty five makes for a short day, but yes, that is a nice marimba.
For me, one of those "background" type songs that I didn't really like, but would find myself subconsciously humming sometimes, and then get pissed that I was.
Yep
I call that false nostalgia, and it definitely applies to this song. Another one for me is “Drops of Jupiter,” by Train. I hear it come on and the familiarity of how much they played the hell out of it gets me starting to get into it, then I realize what song it is and it annoys the crap out of me.
@@davidpolander5899Comment of the year! Hell. Yes.
I was born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi, so hearing Bruce mention reading the farm report on a local station got me reminiscing about the good old days, being a kid, listening to the radio in the 70's. Always loved this song too.
Laurel MS has entered the chat 😂. I have a sister in meridian.
@@BethBrashier Meridian is my stop when traveling from Hsv, AL to NOLA. The Shell station and McD's! Every time!
It takes me back to days when I was young & beautiful & had just become a Mom for the first time, & I wd play this song & rock my little angel to sleep. It was so smooth & soothing she wd fall asleep in no time. Plus I just loved the song. Great memories 👍❣️🥰🫠
Great show, Professor! Getting the background data on this song really makes the song mean so much more meaningful!
I try to imagine the amazing jazz masters of the xylophone, marimba, and similar instruments hearing this solo and their heads exploding.
I love that he still seems to like this song, as opposed to so many bands that end up hating their hit.
Love this song! Hearing it instantly takes me back to the Summer of ‘76 when I was just a little kid running around the neighborhood playing with my friends. Sunny skies, long hot days, popsicles, ice cream trucks, games of tag and catching lightning bugs at dusk. It was the bicentennial and the whole Summer there was a party everywhere you went.
At that age everything was fresh, filled with wonder, and hope. An awesome soundtrack poured from radios everywhere as we enjoyed the seemingly endless freedom of childhood.
This song has that laid back smooth cool to it. Always a favorite and I love seeing how they built the song
This song always takes me right back to the golden 70’s summers with my cousins and all the fun we shared but recently, my mom and I were driving through “In & Out” burgers and “Moonlight” came on SiriusXM. As we were leaving the parking lot the Marimba solo was about to start and I just had to pull over and point out to my mom that “this was an actual guy, playing an actual Marimba!”, and I further explained that this was before synthesizers had a competent Marimba sound and that computer sequencing wasn’t even available yet so yes, this guy had to be this good to do this live to tape! Needless to say, mom was impressed, and I was just happy to be reminded once again that I grew up with some of the best music ever.
I did a blog post about this song and the marimba solo in particular. Bo Wagner turned up and commented (unless someone was doing an extremely pointless imitation). I played percussion in college, and he was thrilled that someone who knew the marimba was writing about it.
Sadly, he passed away in 2017. But that blog post kept getting traffic for years because people keep searching for info about this song and THAT solo, which still blows my mind.
I was 17 when the song came out and I loved it.
Still do and the story behind it makes it even better.
Great show, Thanks for allowing us to listen to the interview with Bruce and not cutting it into bits. You allowed him to talk to us through your listening to him.
Agreed. Very interesting show.
Just an absolutely beautiful, magical song. Wish I were the same age as when I first heard it.
Every time I hear this song a flood of wonderful memories come back to me. The story makes me love the song even more, thanks. I was 21 in 1976, from southeast Baltimore County Md, I grew up on the Chesapeake Bay. We would cruise down to Ocean City (3hr drive) "take you on a trip beside the ocean", just to hang out on the board walk and the beach and swim in the ocean. I was so much in love with my 1st wife (girl friend at the time) we would sit for hour and "lay back and observe the constellations And watch the moon smilin' bright" Just to be together was magical then, to ""see the sun come up on Sunday morning And watch it fade the moon away" together. And of course I was always "ready for a wet kiss." And yes "southern belles are hell at night." Yep, "Moonlight Feels right"
He honestly sounds exactly the same now as he did then. Really cool interview!