Lisa Finch
Guttenberg, IA
We had a console stereo at home on our farm and I remember my parents had The Kingston Trio and Harry Belafonte records. We loved music and even made up little plays to go with the songs. My Dad sang.
By the time I was in junior high. I bought 45s at the Ben Franklin in town. I remember my Mom bought the Three Dog Night record along with Paul Anna’s Diana.
Later, I loved the Bay City Rollers, S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y.
Sherry Oliver
Guttenberg, IA
I listened to records at a friend’s house. I loved The Carpenters, later it was Journey and Boston.
Kay Vifian
Garnavillo, IA
The song that takes me back would be Love Can Make You Happy by Mercy.
When Vic and I got married after college, we asked a priest who was a relative if we could have The Wedding Song by Peter, Paul and Mary. It wasn’t 100% religious, but we had it. The song expresses a divine presence, “He is now to be among you at the calling of your hearts.”
We actually had several songs at our wedding that weren’t traditional religious songs after Father Engler, my mom’s cousin, convinced the local priest at St. Mary’s in Manchester to let us have these songs.
Love Can Make You Happy
Color My World (Vic also sang this song at all our kids’ weddings)
Song of Joy
We’ve Only Just Begun
I found our wedding program as I was thinking back about that time and remembering the music.
Lisa Myers
Eagan, MN
I loved Cat Stevens, Christopher Cross and Gordon Lightfoot in college. I went to art school a ways from home and remember those tunes. The dorms were old and I remember going to my roomie’s house for Thanksgiving. We stay in touch. She was into jazz and that was new to me. But she also had James Taylor and he became one of my favorites.
My drawing corner at home was in a large open upstairs bathroom with a table by the window. I listened to John Denver there.
There were others.
Kenny Loggins’ Celebrate Me Home
Dan Fogelberg’s Innocent Age
Barry Manilow’s Mandy
Linda Moser Ludovissy
Guttenberg, IA
70s songs were all great. We spent hours driving around, going to Joe’s Holler, so many bon fires and kegs. The drinking age was 18 then.
On Senior Skip Day, three of us left school. We headed to Frenchtown but later got caught and had to go back. Principal Fishback was not happy.
Ann Korcyzk
The Villages, FL
The song was Disco inferno.
It came out in 1976. “Burn baby burn.”
I remember it was Ladies Night at Uncles Sam’s disco in Des Moines. I was out on the dance floor in a cute little dress and those Candies heels. I had a cigarette and they were less than a dollar a pack at the time. I was having the time of my life.
I went to Drake and remember I was with my friends Diana, Kim and Carolyn. We still get together! Such fun memories! The Joker was another popular bar.
Kathy Lansing
Ames, IA
The song is More than a Feeling by Boston. I was in a bar in Cedar Falls and it might have been ten cent draw night.
Greg Kilstofte was at a house party with Steve Evers from my hometown of Guttenberg. Steve introduced us when they came into the Stein.
I can see it right now and I can hear that song.
The smell comes back too. You walked in and they were always popping popcorn to cover up the seedy smell of spilled beer on the wood floor. Plenty of Lysol too in the grimy bathroom.
The night went on and well, we got married.
Two other song memories come back as I smile every time I listen to those 70s songs.
Maybe I’m Amazed by Paul McCartney. Greg and my first visit to the Poison Apple, the first disco in Cedar Falls. Our first slow dance… can still see the garish flashing lights, way too loud music and the smell of their signature drink, a sickening sweet red concoction, called the “poison apple” of course served in a huge souvenir glass that decorated way too many dorm rooms…🍷
Second one goes way back…. The song is Doctor My Eyes by Jackson Brown.
I’m a 14-year-old awkward farm girl working at Les & Em’s Drive-In on the highway in Guttenberg. A teen hangout for the cool kids…. every afternoon the high school varsity football boys would come by after practice, hang out in the booths and play this song on the jukebox. I still feel the hot sun as I stared at them through the window, the smell of gravel dust an car exhaust as they sped off in their junky cars and the hot, greasy smell of the burgers& fries they inhaled.
Still makes me smile 54 years later 🤣
Guttenberg, IA
I was born in 1958 and graduated in 1977. I was a farm girl and grew up in the small town of Jamaica, Iowa. I was addicted to the Doobie Brothers. I had an older boyfriend and although my parents were not thrilled, one summer Sunday, we headed to 8 am church and then took off for the state fair.
It was a band fest with the Doobies as well as the Beach Boys. It was hot, you know the days of Daisy Duke shorts. We just had way too much fun.
In college I loved Head East and the song, Never been any Reason. We even had a sign with it in our dorm room window.
Listen to China Grove by The Doobie Brothers
Carol Dettmer Inman
Maynard IA
When Randy and I were dating, he had an 8-track in his car. He just loved music.
There was a Rare Earth song, Get Ready. It starts out “I never met a girl who makes me feel the way that you do.”
He would move the Rare Earth song to the very part where they sing, “Get ready, here I come”, and he would blast it out the open windows of his car whenever he came to pick me up!
Now my son and daughter just love that song. They love so much of our 70s music and treasure our old albums.
The other song that we loved was It’s so nice to be with you by Gallery. It’s the tune I sent to the Tripoli Class of 74 reunion playlist and it was just a good song for that time together.
Michele Van Handorf
Guttenberg, IAI was born in 1967 and the year was 1976, and we were celebrating the US Bicentennial. My Mom had planned a family vacation to Washington, DC. So here we were in our Ford Galaxy (maroon with a black top) four-door sedan, with no AC and only an AM radio. Grandma Thurn was with us. So I was squished between her and my brother Richard the whole way there and back.
I will never forget it, the song was Afternoon Delight and I was singing it over and over again. I thought I was so cool. I think my parents knew the song was about a quickie in the afternoon, but any time I hear it, I am right back there with Richard and Grandma crossing Ohio and Indiana.
70s Tunes Take Us Back 