Most of my music experience was from Movie Musicals, Saturday Morning Cartoons, (The Archies, The Beatles cartoon, etc), and other TV shows. Of course the biggest of these were the Monkees and the brand new series, The Partridge Family.

Christmas of 1970 brought presents that would be the beginning of the creation of this Music Fan.

For it was on that Christmas morning I opened my very first record player. Looking back 40 years ago with how easy it is to have a constant source of music, having your own record player may not be a big deal. But for this 12 year old boy it was. I’m sure it would be to anyone living it that generation. A generation where entertainment in the house usually was focused in one room of the house. A TV set, and it may not have been a color one, and music console were all together.

My record player wasn’t simply a small one. It resembled a medium sized trunk. Nor was it mono, as many were in 1970. It was a stereo. It also have a Bass and Treble control. I don’t know how expensive it may have been, but I’m sure for our family it was quite expensive.

On top of that I received three albums. Amazingly these are still in my collection. Those albums were The Beatles, Yesterday and Today, Elvis Presley, From Memphis to Vegas and the first album from what was my favorite music group, The Partridge Family.

I’m sure that there are many, men and women, my age who still think back to the Christmas of 1970 as the beginning of their musical journey. And while they may not admit that the Partridge Family, The Jackson Five and the Osmonds were some of their earliest favorites, like mine they probably were.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Very Happy 1971

In 1969 Tony Joe White released his song Polk Salad Annie. After nearly a year sitting in limbo, the single was released but not selling, it finally caught on and ended up reaching Number 8 on the charts.

Elvis Presley soon afterward added it as one of the songs for his live performances remaining as one of the songs in his live lineup.

It was recorded several times and released on the albums: “Elvis: That’s The Way It Is” (documentary film, 1970), “On Stage” (1970) and “Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden” (1972).

I have always considered this one of Elvis’ underrated songs and one his best of the 70s.

And for those who want to compare, here is a version done by Tony Joe.

And another by Tony Joe White singing a duet with Johnny Cash from the Johnny Cash Show.