Traces
I've mentioned that in the spring, one of my favorite students/basketball managers/people in the world made a ten volume set of CDs for my listening pleasure. The collection, Coach Hawley's Groovy Tunes, volumes 1-10, was the creation of Jenny Haynes Parish and she nailed my musical tastes. This morning, I was running errands and pushed volume 4 into my car CD player. I've been through all ten discs but when Traces by Dennis Yost and the Classics IV came on, I heard it like I was hearing it for the first time. It's a nostalgic number, a guy thinking back on his failed romance, reminded by old pictures, ticket stubs, love letters, etc., but in the end, still hopeful for reconciliation. Maybe I was nostalgic and that's why it hit me. I played it several times before I pulled into my parking spot.
Dennis Yost and his mates, who had a shifting lineup, were no one hit wonders. They had other big chart singles like Stormy, Spooky, and Everyday With You, Girl, all soft pop rock kinds of records. I'm the curious type so when I got home, I opened my laptop to find out how much I didn't know about them. As usual, there is a backstory to this group which was big for a time and then faded. The group centered around Yost, a drummer who became the full time singer. They originally were known as The Classics but another group was already going by that moniker. Two of the group left and helped found the very successful Atlanta Rhythm Section which had hits of its own like So Into You. Every rock band had its own family tree with lots of branches.
Like a number of bands, the Classics IV put Yost's name at the front as the visible leader. (Think Diana Ross.) Yost lived around the US but the band started in Jacksonville. He was known as the stand-up drummer from his playing style and the name of the band came from the brand of his drum set. His solo career never matched the success of the Classics IV and in 2005, Yost fell down a flight of stairs and suffered a brain injury, living out his life in a nursing home until his death in 2008 at age 65. Apparently, he was much loved and respected in the industry.
There was one other intriguing tidbit about Dennis Yost: he imitated James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. The source didn't clarify if the imitation was in phrasing or tone or even stage presence- it just said he was an imitator of James Brown, whose name and face most Americans would recognize. My guess is relatively few would have been able to identify Dennis Yost from a picture even at his peak popularity. The fact that it's mentioned leads me to believe that some part of James Brown's style had to play a role into making Dennis an artistic success. Maybe it was just traces of the influence of James, who knows? (Bad pun!) We all have others who serve as role models; parents/coaches/teachers/friends. That's not new but it is spiritually sound. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul wrote to the Christians to, Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Great advice! It's terrific to have role models but who are the role models for our role models? As believers, it all goes back to Christ. Paul would not have been worth imitating unless he had imitated Jesus. Looking back, there were many influencers on my life, one way or another. I also surmise that I'm not even aware of some who nudged my life in certain directions, filling out the character that I became. I can say this confidently- the people who I've consciously imitated as an adult knew Jesus, not perfectly but purposefully. Like you, I'm a work in progress but I'm blessed by those whom the Lord has brought into my orbit. And for that, I feel good. (Thanks, James.) Too bad I just can't sing.
To listen to Dennis Yost And The Classics IV sing Traces, click or copy/paste the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hkMwXNJ_cM
Applicable quote of the day:
“Imitation is not just the sincerest form of flattery - it's the sincerest form of learning.”
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
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