Growing up in suburban Australian in the 70-80′s one of my most vivid memories of my early childhood is being put into the back of my Mum’s Holden Kingswood ’75 series and being ferried here, there, somewhere around Sydney’s North Shore, usually to play school, the speech therapist, the Doctor’s office or shopping centre, listening to 2CH radio station with the slogan of a man breathlessly sighing into the mic ’2CH : Easy listening’. 2CH, have since managed to amend their slogan in the proceeding thirty years to the newer, snazzier slogan ’2cH Easy 1170 – Easy listening hits’, they’re such innovative cats! Though, as this article proves they’re still going strong relying largely on their loyal, over-50 demographic.
The backbone of 2CH was the entire Beatles and ABBA catalogues, a heavy yet reasonably healthy dose of The Carpenters, Olivia Newton-John and Elton John, and the seemingly endless variety of soft-rock outfits of the late 70′s, early 80′s balladeers, the likes of Chicago, Christopher Cross, Anne Murray, Air Supply, and Hall and Oates.
At the time I didn’t know to think of the music itself – apart from Dad’s classical music listening, church hymns, and Humphrey B Bear songs – it was all I knew, but always remembered the bulk of 2CH’s playlist to be slow, easy, sentimental, and though I knew nothing of such things at the time, romantic and bittersweet.
For some strange reason as the year’s go by, I find myself attracted to the songs of my childhood and often finding myself searching through Youtube for the sounds of my early years – the soft, easy listening ballads of yesteryear.
To the balladeers of the 70′s and 80′s, I salute you! And, to all those who, like myself, grew up to their hits here are a few musical tributes to the songs of our childhood.
Enjoy~!
Chicago – If You Leave Me Now (1976)
The Carpenters – We’ve Only Just Begun (1971)
Christopher Cross – Sailing (1980)
Anne Murray – You Needed Me (1978)
