Saturday 9

 

Annie's Song

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here are today's questions!

Saturday 9: Annie's Song (1974)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) 50 years ago this month, we were all listening to John Denver rhapsodize about nature. He singles out walking in the rain as a particularly lovely experience. Do you enjoy walking in the rain?

Yes.

2) Denver wrote this song on a ski lift in Aspen. He clearly relished the ride, but ski lifts are problematic for those who suffer from acrophobia, or a fear of heights. Acrophobia plagues approximately 5% of Americans. Are you one of them? 

Yes and no … if I feel secure (that I won’t fall) I don’t mind heights.  The ski lift might spook me, though.

3) John Denver recalled that this song just came to him as he looked down on the beauty of nature. Can you recall a time when something you saw in nature touched your heart?

I love hanging out at the beach, especially in the off season when there aren’t a lot of people around.

4) Wildly successful here in The States, John Denver's popularity didn't extend to the United Kingdom. In fact, "Annie's Song" was his only major hit. But it was a big one. Denver's version reached #1 in 1974 and then in 1978 James Galway hit #1 on the UK charts with an instrumental version. Do you have a favorite instrumental recording?

5) John Denver's first-ever guitar, a gift from his grandmother, was displayed at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix. Have you visited a museum yet this summer? If not, do you have plans to?

We haven’t had time this summer.  We went to the American Museum of Natural History last winter.

6) In addition to the guitar, Denver also played the violin (or "the fiddle," as he called it). If a genie appeared to magically enable you to play the instrument of your choice, which would you choose?

I took piano lessons, viola lessons and guitar lessons when I was a kid.  Can’t really play any of them, though I can sort of pick out a tune on piano.  If I were to resume my musical career I think I’d choose guitar.

Let's look at the summer of 1974.

7) Elizabeth Berkeley was born. She's best known as Jesse on the Saturday morning teen sitcom, Saved by the Bell. What Saturday morning TV shows do you remember fondly?

I remember watching Bugs Bunny, Scooby-doo, Underdog, Mighty Mouse …

8) Hall of Fame pitcher and Cardinal great Dizzy Dean died. How is your baseball team doing this summer?

LET’S GO METS!

After an awful start, the Mets are hot, and in the race for the wild card spot.

9) The biggest summer movie was The Longest Yardstarring Burt Reynolds. What's your favorite Burt Reynolds movie?

  

Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!