I heard on song on KONA radio today that brought back great memories. I think we all have songs that take us back in time, to place, and or to a person. Some of these songs are “greats” while others might be a one hit wonder that we world never admit to enjoying. But when you hear the song many years later, it can take you back instantly. I call it music memory.

One of my strong music memory songs is Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty. Released in 1978, it made it to #2 on the U.S. charts. The song, which features an outstanding saxophone hook, takes me back to my junior year in high school.

When I was a junior in high school, this song was not the typical one I played, mainly listening to KOME and KSJO which featured bands like Journey, AC/DC and an occasional Talking Heads. Yet every time I hear this song, I am instantly transported back in time. I can “see” and “feel” myself working or hanging with my friends, nothing monumental, just plain old life.

For some strange reason, when the song starts, my first memory is doing “garbage runs” at Cherry Chase Liquors. In my minds eye, I can see me pushing the garbage can on a hand-truck out the front of the store and around back. Recycling was not a concept. I must have chucked out thirty to forty broken down cardboard boxes every run.

I can see me at 16 washing dishes at Pacific Steamer Pizza. God, I hated that part of the job. I did enjoy the pizza and some of the “public” school girls from Homestead High were hot (and I was told easy).

I can see me driving my old 1964 Dodge Dart. I only had that vehicle about four months before I blew the engine. This happened while I was trying to break the land-speed record on Highway 280 on my way up to Deadwood (Redwood) City, visiting one of my school cronies Pat, Tom, John or Bob.

When Gerry sings “give up the booze and one night stands”, I think of going to the movies with my friends out at the old Moffett Field Drive In* and the great beer busts up in Woodside. Drinking and driving was the norm. How none of us died is still a miracle.

The last part of the song - the guitar solo - reminds me of a late summer sunset. Why? I have no clue, but I can “see” the sky at dusk as I am trudging out with that old garbage can.

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* The Moffett Drive-In was located nearly adjacent to Moffett Field Naval Airbase. The back side of the screen provided an impressive neon display outlining “Moffett” in huge stylized lettering, along with large golden yellow neon-outlined star shapes that dotted the space surrounding the lettering. This was all easily seen from the Bayshore Freeway.

The same design existed on the back sides of the screens for the Redwood Drive-In in Redwood City (demolished) and the Union City Drive-In in Union City. The Union City evolved into a multi-screen venue but and the original screen may still be there. Both the Union City and Redwood were also easily seen from the Nimitz and Bayshore Freeways, respectively.