During the 70s, country rock reached an apex of popularity. The Eagles, Glen Campbell and James Taylor were some of the performers who delivered it to the masses on a gold plate filled with homespun lyrics, precise acoustic guitar work and authentic singing. Another notable contributor to this genre was singer/songwriter John Denver. Born in Roswell, New Mexico in 1943, Henry John Deutchschendorf was part of a folk group in the late 60s, then went solo in the 70s. He was one of the best-selling and most popular acoustic guitarists of this decade. This humanitarian and activist's love and respect for nature shone brightly in his winning tunes.
Released in 1972, this folk rock song became an official song of the state of Colorado and reached #9 on the US Hot 100. Denver wrote the song with Mike Taylor and it was a slice of Americana to the nth degree. The song transports one to the mountains, to wilderness, to abandon. You can almost smell the fragrance of pine needles and fresh snow when this song is on. An easy mix of pop rock and country, it's easy to see why this soothing hit was a pop culture linchpin in the 70s.
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About the Curator - Sonya Alexander
After graduating from UCLA, Sonya trained to be a talent agent. After realizing she belonged on the creative end, she started freelance writing, covering film festivals for Los Angeles local papers. She's written about film, video games, global affairs, wildlife conservation and, most recently, music. She specializes in classic rock, classic soul, blues, classic country, classical and world music and is tri-coastal, residing in Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans.
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The song is simple in its approach. It has an uncomplicated melody, a catchy refrain and Withers’ dulcet vocals. Songs like this epitomize the 70s, full of happiness and love. Pop culture always defines eras. The movies, television shows and music mirror the times. “Lovely Day” symbolizes the 70s, but it’s eternal in its outlook.
The 70s had some of the best slow jams. Love songs were actually about love. Roberta Flack’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” from the album of the same title, is a worthy entry into the 70s catalog of golden love song hits. The silky tune blazed up the music charts in 1974 and remained at number one for a week on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles…
After graduating from UCLA, Sonya trained to be a talent agent. After realizing she belonged on the creative end, she started freelance writing, covering film festivals for Los Angeles local papers. She's written about film, video games, global affairs, wildlife conservation and, most recently, music. She specializes in classic rock, classic soul, blues, classic country, classical and world music and is tri-coastal, residing in Los Angeles, New York and New Orleans.