The Summer Of 42 Reblogged

Moments.  Oh please, don’t ask me how this came about. I was just listening to the music of Henri Mancini, Two For The Road particularly when I suddenly remembered  those movie themes that I regularly listen to on YouTube.  There are times when you get a little sentimental over sad and beautiful music that you grew up with. And I  wish to share  my very first blog which I originally posted at my Multiply site.   My journal entries way back in college don’t count of course, they are more personal – the growing up years contained in a thick notebook  which I still keep until now.  Funny how, this story talks about teenage life, first love, and heartaches. It reminds me so much of those days and nights  that I’ve done the same soul-searching. Life is full of chances to grow a little better, life is full of experiences that teach us how to truly love.

The Summer of  42 (April 22, 2008)

I truly believe that something happens when you least expect it.  Yesterday, while I was waiting for my urologist at the satellite clinic of the Medical City at Ever-Ortigas, I decided to while away the time going to my favorite jaunts. First stop was NBS, they have this bargain bin in one corner of the store and it is always a delight to find something worth-reading.  Next was a visit at the friendly Booksale lady at the 2nd floor.  Third stop was at Books and Mags. I was just browsing with no particular book in mind. There is a growing stash of books most of which I made on impulse buy.  I decided that I will stick to my Wish List and wait for another sale perhaps at Bestsellers and NBS.

Tom Clancy (plenty stuff there), Dean Koontz, Binchy – I found this small volume, Summer of 42 by Herman Raucher, a Dell book, 1971 edition. What came to mind was the music, Theme from Summer of 42 by Michel Legrand. I distinctly remember that way back in 1971, this was one of the contenders for Best Instrumental Arrangement/Composition along with Theme from Shaft by Isaac  Hayes and Theme from Love Story by Francis Lai, for the prestigious Grammy Awards. Of course, Theme from Shaft won hands down (and I still have my Jingle chordbook magazine, Chapter IX to prove it),. But I am digressing here.

Summer of 42 – made into film by Warner Bros. with Jennifer O’Neill (Dorothy) and Gary Grimes(Hermie) as the main characters.  In everyone’s life, there is Summer of 42. A beautiful love story, poignant, warm, funny, sad, coming of age – it is just perfect.

The summer Hermie turned fifteen, he fell deeply  and passionately in love with an older woman of twenty-two and a married one at that.  Along with his two best friends Oscy and Benjie, Hermie spent his time running and playing on the beach and it was there that he saw and fell in love with Dorothy.  The story revolves around the fun and mischief of the three young boys, displaying their raw innocence about sex. It behooves me to think what life was like in ’42.

I dare not describe the details here because it is always best to read the book and enjoy it. The wording  of the song from the book sums it all:

last night I started out happy
last night my heart was so gay
last night I found myself dancing
in my favorite cabaret.
you were completely forgotten
just an affair of the past,
then  suddenly something happened to me
and I found my heart beating, oh so fast

there will be no new romance for me,
it’s foolish to start
for that old feeling is still in my heart.

(note: I don’t own the video, just uploaded it from YouTube)

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I Do All My Crying In The Rain

Ignore the title!

I am just having a LSS  and humming the song like crazy while writing this.  Perhaps most of you won’t remember the group who sang this song way back in the early seventies (I was in high school then). Sounds of Sunshine are more popularly known for their song Love Means (You Never Have To Say You’re Sorry) . It was that line I so clearly remember from Erich Segal,  the author of the book  Love Story and the film of the same title. But that’s another story worthy of another blog. I am getting a little sentimental  right now, watching film clips of the movie, the best scenes and lovely dialogue.

I do all my crying in the rain.

That’s how it starts,  thinking of the good old days. And before you know it, your tears are falling just because the song reminds you of something precious, memories of the past that you wish you could just forget but it is in their very essence that makes  you remember. And the rain outside doesn’t help.

Actually, I found this song by accident last night while looking for something else on YouTube. And I had a blast listening to all the songs I found, songs of yesteryears, songs from my childhood, songs that I associate with the first stirring of love and the first heartbreak.

It started with Cocoy Laurel.

Yeah, do you remember him? He is that talented guy who’s the son of our former Vice-President Doy Laurel.  Remember him in Miss Saigon? He studied at prestigious conservatory schools like the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Juilliard School in New York and The Facultad de Bellas Artes in Madrid. And we are friends on Facebook.  I thought it was a fan page but I was surprised to see that it is his personal account. I am a fan and he accepted my request. What could be lovelier than that? Don’t tell but I got this picture from his site.

What I remember was his  debut movie with Nora Aunor (that long ha?), Lollipops and Roses.  Lollipops and Roses was also his signature song in the movie.  So you can imagine how he captured the heart of a seventeen-year-old-me. Here’s one of his earlier songs,  I think it was also recorded back in the seventies when most movie theme songs were played non-stop over the radio.

Traipsing down memory lane.

I also found Walter Navarro’s videos while searching YouTube for more earlier recordings of Cocoy.  Now I know who resembles Walter, it’s Enchong Dee, Walter was just a little fair and Enchong is chinito.  Walter was one of the top ten matinee idols of the 70’s.

Yes, it felt like I was watching a mini concert last night, listening to the likes of various local artists like Novo Bono, Jonathan Potenciano and Julius Obregon.  The best Filipino artists of the 70’s, where are they now?

(Big thanks to Wilbert’s Music Library for the two videos uploaded here and to Cocoy’s Facebook account for the picture)

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