Am I the only Gen X’er who’s adopted the phrase, “Let’s turn it up like Freedom Rock!”
For those who remember, Freedom Rock was a collection of music from the ’60s and ’70s, Vietnam-era rock music.
It was promoted via a full-on infomercial, with this Tommie Chong-inspired guy with a long wig, headband and love beads sitting in the back of his VW van, enthusing about the badassery of said music. He keeps telling his friend to “Turn it up, man” and then, when the tunes get too loud over his running commentary, to “Turn it down, man.”
The commercial, which was hypnotic, contained a laundry list of songs, played in snippets. It was like a party primer for music the hippies grooved and raged to. As a result, I have countless tunes for which I only know one line.
Here are a few songs I recall being on the infomercial.
“I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name.’–America
“In a white room, with black curtains. . .” –Cream
“Don’t you want somebody to love you?”–Jefferson Starship
“Nights in white satin”–Moody Blues
“They call me mellow yellow”–Donovan
I’m blanking out. Do you remember the snippets, fellow ’80s kids?
–Sarah Torribio
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