1972 Songs: Ventura Highway

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Sorry about the country music today for the 1982 song. There was country music in 1972, too, but I’m focusing on the rock and roll side for these 50-year-old tunes. Here’s one you’ve heard or will hear this week. Ventura Highway - America You can’t make America great again, because Dan Peek’s dead. (PhredWreck, JJ, SomeGuyTyping@HisKitchenTable, Scar’s Hoomin, etc.) JJ’s joke aside, one of the things that may surprise you is that, 50 years ago, it was America, not the Eagles, who won the Best New Artist Grammy. And who’s out there with the $800 tickets? No, not saying that America wasn’t a great act. “Sister Golden Hair” is one of those defining songs of the 70s. We’ve all made a joke about “after nine days, name the stupid horse!” over their song “A Horse With No Name” (which is a pretty good Neil Young impersonation, if you ask me). And this song, with the line about “alligator lizards in the air.” What were they smoking??? Well, according to Picky Wedia, writer and vocalist Dewey Bunnell said that’s what the clouds looked like to him when he was a kid as he stood by the side of the road while his dad changed a flat tire. A sign pointing the way to Ventura, California was nearby. And a legendary song was born. If Bunnell’s dad had been a Triple A member we never would’ve had this song! Ventura Highway Written by Dewey Bunnell Recorded by America From Homecoming, 1972 (Today’s 1982 song: “16th Avenue”) How long you gonna stay here, Joe?