Friday Flashback :: The Blackbyrds' Rock Creek Park

Today's Friday Flashback was a toughie...Not only am I in Chicago for my alma mater's homecoming -- meaning I am away from my complete collection of classic goodies at home -- but I also had a hard time choosing what the feature piece was going to be.

After much deliberation, I chose a song that most of us in the 30+ crowd will know, and something the under 30's set has probably heard at least once...and one that I grew up with being from the East Coast:

Rock Creek Park by The Blackbyrds.

This classic is a paean to the real park by the same name that runs from Northeast Washington D.C. into suburban Montgomery County, Maryland along what else...Rock Creek. The park is over 2800 acres in size -- close to three times the size of New York City's Central Park, and it was, and still is, a summer hangout popular with African Americans for cookouts and just chillin' on summer weekends and holidays. There is a double entendre in the meaning of the lyrics, as RCP was a popular lovers lane as well, so there was plenty of "doing it" before and after dark in this urban forrest.

To that end, there was something particularly engaging about listening to the seductive female voice imploring one to "Do it../Yeah.../Come on and do it.../Do It.../Ohhhh Yeahhh..../OOoooohhhhwwweee baybay" over top of the male background singer's breathy whisperings of "Do it..Just Do it...Do it..."

The Blackbyrds were primarily a soul/funk/disco outfit, with jazz backgrounds who liked to have a good time basically, and most of their songs were  -- honestly -- short on lyrical content, but great grooves to dance to. Rock Creek Park is no exception.

If you've been to a backyard BBQ, or any summer festival, you've likely heard this song, and for many of us, it brings back very fond memories of a simpler, more musical time.

So now, your Flashback on Friday October 12, 2007, Rock Creek Park, by The Blackbyrds!

The Blackbyrds :: Rock Creek Park
Album: City Life
Released: 1975
Billboard peak: #37 U.S. Black Singles, #93 U.S. Pop Chart (both in 1976)
Play the Track: Rock Creek Park (to download, Mac users, Control-click, and choose 'Save Link As...' Windows users right-click the link and choose 'Save Target As...').