Sunday Morning Vault: Cliff DeYoung--My Sweet Lady (1974)

    Cliff DeYoung began his career as a musician with the group Clear Light, who opened for several of the major stars of the day, but who's own light would be out by 1968. DeYoung then tried out and won a part on the Broadway version of "Hair" then later the Tony award winning, "Sticks and Bones"
     After four years on the east coast, he went back to the west side to star in the movie "Sunshine". The movie was a real tear-jerker as it told the story of a mother who discovers she has cancer and recorded her last days for her family. The music in the show was written by John Denver (who had recorded it on his 1971 album, "Poems, Prayers, and Promises") but the single was the recording that DeYoung sang in the movie. Denver was to release his own single version in 1977.
     Cliff continues to act, having been in almost 100 movies and tv shows. The clip below has part of the audio from the movie with Christina Raines and Cliff DeYoung.

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John Denver--Rocky Mountain High (1972)

     Every so often there is an opportunity to interject some of my childhood in these blogs, and this one has been sitting there for a long time. When a teenager I had a major admiration for John Denver. His voice could be a bit whiny, but his early days as a folkie and his commitment to ecological and conservation concerns was a cause that became one of mine as well.
     The "country boy" persona of the mid-70's was a bit tiring, maybe because for a 4 year stretch, the country got a bit of JD saturation. You couldn't turn on a radio, or watch a TV without hearing or seeing him. He was even a movie with George Burns!
     Although he had his first major hit with "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in 1971, it was "Rocky Mountain High" in late 1972/early 1973 that became his calling card. (Maybe because he was always more of a Denver guy, then he was a West Virginia dude...)
    Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. was born in Roswell, New Mexico but with his dad being an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel they moved quite often. The relationship between father and son were strained during those years as John even took the family car and ran away to California while still in high school.
     Several years later, he had moved to Los Angeles for good and began singing in the folk clubs. He was recruited to sing in the Mitchell Trio in 1965, then Denver, Bosie, and Johnson. During this time he wrote the song that would eventually give him the ability to start a solo career. In 1967 he recorded a demo which had a song on it called, "Babe, I Hate to Go". The manager for The Mitchell Trio forwarded the demo to Peter, Paul, and Mary who changed the name, "Leaving On a Jet Plane", which became their last top 10 hit in 1969.
    Denver's career was in fits and starts for several years having a big hit ("Country Roads", "Rocky Mountain High") then a time where other songs would languish away on the charts. By 1974, he had the twin number one hits, "Sunshine On My Shoulders", and "Annie's Song" which is where his career took off. 

      

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