Midnight Soul

A look at the songs that have shaped
my life and ended up on my devices.

As a kid, the Francis clan used to drive from Kansas City to the small southeast Kansas town of Pittsburg to visit friends in weekend adventures that could last well into the night, leading to a late-night Saturday drive back home. I remember two things about these trips: 1) It always used to rain around La Cygne, Kansas, and 2) This 1981 song from Champaign on the radio, which I first heard in its entirety during one of those return trips.



I've learned this song had incredible staying power in the Billboard Hot 100, remaining on the chart for nearly six months before peaking at #12. It stayed in my head for considerably longer.

Something about the long stretch of Highway 69 in Kansas lent itself particularly well to soul ballads, although I'm not sure why. And it seems during the early 80's, quite a few of them hit the pop charts and would eventually make their way into my iPad and smartphone. Great road music never dies.