ANTHEM is coming: chapter 2

ANTHEM, Book 3 of the Sixties Trilogy, publishes on October 1. Each of the book's 47 chapters begins with a song from the Sixties to set the tone, mood, and scene. Every day between now and October 1, come have a listen and read a snippet from each chapter.

This is Chapter 2 (day 46):

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
Written by Doug Ingle
Performed by Iron Butterfly
Recorded at Gold Star Studios, Hollywood, CA
 and Ultrasonic Studios, Long Island, NY, 1968
Drummer: Ron Bushy

NORMAN:

"I'm a drummer. My name is Norman. I hate that name. My mother named me after Norman Vincent Peale and The Power of Positive Thinking. She's a positive person. She kills me... So I'm going to change my name. Who has a name like Norman anymore?.... Rock and roll drummers have names like Keith and Ron and Ringo. At school I get called 'Normal,' especially by the hoodlums in P.E. I'm going to change that." 

 

This fuzzy video is a live performance of the entire song (all 17 minutes!), with Ron Bushy's 3-minute drum solo coming in at 6:10. Or you can watch just the solo here. Norman would have *loved* YouTube. He is forever tapping out the drum solo with straws, utensils, fingers, whatever is at hand... just like countless young drummers did, in the late sixties.

"When I listen to 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' I listen loud, with my head right next to the speaker, lying on the floor. The world is going down the crapper, but when I'm lost in the music -- any music -- I don't care."

Tomorrow, Chapter 3, back to Molly. Working our way to Chapter 47 and publication day!