"Bobby Troup was sitting behind the wheel of his '41 Buick, with his wife Cynthia, driving 

from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, when an idea for a song documenting their  

trip began to take shape in his mind. It was February 1946 and Troup, a singer, musician  

and songwriter, was heading West to Chicago, where they picked up the 2,448 mile long US Highway, that would take them all the way to LA - on Route 66 ! "

Finally the reason behind the build up of recent 'Road Music' can be disclosed. Today marks 40 years since Route 66 was officially decertified by the Highway authorities in 1985 (nearly 60 years after it had opened). The romance surrounding the route continues to this day, if in fact following the original road, which has disappeared in parts, is less continuous. John Steinbeck in his book 'The Grapes of Wrath' called it the Mother Road and it symbolises escape, loss, freedom and hope for a new beginning. 

The song by Bobby Troup '(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66' mentions the places they passed along the way - I'm sure you know the words. In March 1946 it was recorded and released a month later by Nat King Cole. His jazz inflected swing rendition was a bit hit. While 15 years later the song was reinvented for a whole new generation by Chuck Berry. I first heard the song as the opening track on the debut LP by the Rolling Stones, their version was a transformation of Berry's straight three-chord 12-bar blues 1961 recording. 

So Chuck Berry is today's Star Track artist. With a great video full of nice memorabilia >>>

In case you wondered - a Shasta caravan refers to travel trailers manufactured by the Shasta Corporation that captured the imagination of lovers of 'Van Life'.

🚙 Also you may remember an early 60s TV series called 'Route 66', an American adventure crime drama. The theme to the show was by Nelson Riddle and goes like this (link).

🚙 OR Get Your Kicks On The Stones version 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTG9dKW7EaA&list=RDuTG9dKW7EaA&start_radio=1

     R e m e m b e r i n g    

 -    B R I A N   W I L S O N   - 

o f  T h e  B e a c h  B o y s

Who passed away earlier this month. You have perhaps seen this video from former Beach Boy and cousin Mike Love, of his song 'Brian's Back'. An emotional and touching tribute to the life and work of "the driving creative force behind The Beach Boys’ best work". 

> Reminds me of the time on Long Island in 1998. We'd gone to a balloon festival out East and as we entered there was music coming from the other side of the field. Easily recognising the songs and I said 'boy these guys are good, they sound JUST like the Beach Boys'...
'That's because they ARE The Beach Boys' !

   

I've finally decided on this week's track, which not only featured in a Top 50 best road trip songs list (see here) at No.23, but also was the subject of a Rick Beato video I'd found called 'The Greatest Guitar Solo You Can’t HEAR! '

Christopher Cross 'Ride Like the Wind' released in 1980 was his debut record and after 45 years it has finally received an official music video created by director Andrea Calvetti, with wild ’70s energy and cars tearing through the desert.

The guitar solo you can't hear, played by Cross, is at the end...

Here's the Rick Beato video explanation I mentioned, for your interest (click link).

   

I've previously mentioned when compiling a tape (playlist in current jargon) of Road songs that probably all you'd need would one full of Creedence Clearwater Revival songs. If I were to pick one it would be this, if only for that brilliant guitar intro... 

'Up Around the Bend'

'Curva' = bend in Portuguese [subtitles are also in English] 

The Road in the video is actually in Brazil - PR444 highway - Londrina to Malinga

  

In January I started my 'One For The Road' monthly track, without revealing where this was going. 

As the reasoning will become clear by the end of this month, June will provide a 'traffic' build up of Driving music along the lines previously discussed in a post last July, (re-read here). 

There I mentioned Classic and Contemporary songs and that my list was mostly American bands, though not exclusively. Long distance road trips having originated in the states they cornered the market in 'Two-Lane Blacktop' 'Easy Rider' style out-takes with music and lyrics to set your wheels a spinning. What is remarkable is my 2025 monthly 'Road' tracks so far have not featured any American music. Motorways, Highways & Autobahns but no Freeways or Interstates. 

That is about to change of course as we head out on the highway with some 'Big American Car Music' looking for adventure. Many classics are former Friday Star Tracks: 'Sweet Home Alabama', 'Running On Empty', 'Wasn't Born to Follow' & 'Don't Look Back' as I have remembered these favourites from personal road trips. 

These tracks are going to need little introduction. From 1977 and off the 'Lust for Life' LP this is Iggy Pop 'The Passenger' - fasten seat belts