Kim Berry - Highlights of the 1970s

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1972 Bread Concert

In May 1972 (eighth grade) my mother squeezed about 8 neighbor kids into her 1967 MGB - we were hanging out the back - and went to the Reno Coliseum to see the band "Bread." Note that the car does not even have a true back seat - this is the same year and color:

They were huge at the time. I used to listen to "Mother Freedom" on the headphones, amazed by the stereo separation of the guitar intro. And today B-track "This Isn't What the Governmeant" is on my Zune: "Then the war, don't know what for, somebody said it had to be fought. Supposed to go, but I said 'No' cuz I'z afraid I might get shot!"

We were stomping our feet to the beat. A redneck in the row in front of us turned a few times and yelled "knock if off." But being early teens we didn't. He turned around and threw a punch and caught me in the mouth. The security saw me in the bathroom stuffing paper towels in my bloody mouth, followed me back, and escorted him out.

Baby I'm-A Want You is the fourth album by Bread, released in 1972. Its singles included the title cut (which reached #3 on the Billboard Top 100), "Everything I Own",(#5), "Mother Freedom" (#37),and "Diary" (#15). This was the first Bread album to feature keyboards man Larry Knechtel.

This is a scan of my actual ticket!

Track listing

  1. "Mother Freedom" – 2:35 (Gates)
  2. "Baby I'm-a Want You" – 2:31 (Gates)
  3. "Down on My Knees" – 2:44 (Griffin/Gates)
  4. "Everything I Own" – 3:07 (Gates)
  5. "Nobody Like You" – 3:14 (Gates/Griffin/Knechtel)
  6. "Diary" – 3:09 (Gates)
  7. "Dream Lady" – 3:22 (Griffin/Royer)
  8. "Daughter" – 3:23 (Gates)
  9. "Games of Magic" – 3:10 (Griffin/Royer)
  10. "This Isn't What the Governmeant" – 2:27 (Gates)
  11. "Just Like Yesterday" – 2:15 (Griffin)
  12. "I Don't Love You" – 2:49 (Griffin)

(You can find most of these on YouTube)

 

Christmas Party 1979 - too much Jack Daniels

In 1979 I was working during the week as a welder at Jensen Pre-cast and also part-time weekends as a chef at Marie Callender's Restaurant. In mid December Marie Callender's held an employee Christmas Party on a off-night at a bar/club in the shopping center on the east side of Lakeside Drive just north of Moana Lane in Reno, Nevada.

I had already had a few beers when one of the guys gets a bottle of Jack Daniels as a Christmas gift. To show off I started chugging it. My next recollection was about 2am two guys dragging me out the parking lot and put me in my car - i recall my toes dragging along the pavement.

It was about 20 degrees and within 30 minutes I was very cold, but too drunk to even sit up, much less drive. So I tucked in my knees laying across the front bench-seat (big American car) and tried to keep warm. Around 5am I woke up feeling I was close to dying - losing body temperature. By 7am I was able to sit up and drive home.

Two months later I read how AC/DC singer Bon Scott died in a cold car under similar circumstances. (See bottom of Main 1970's page.)

When i returned to work the next weekend I was told that I was laying in a booth vomiting and the waitresses were wiping my face - I have no recollection.

For 30 years I associated JD with "vomit smell." Just this year I tried it again, and now, due to an appreciation for oak barrel ageing and fine Scotch, it does not taste at all like I remember. I now like it. (Pictured: JD on the rocks on an August 2009 afternoon in Citrus Heights)