Windy – The Association | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1); 1967
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
In 1966 the Association exploded onto the scene with a formidable one-two punch: Along Comes Mary (#7) and Cherish (#1). The next two singles failed to perform as well, and the spring of ’67 found the L.A. band looking for another big hit.
Enter Ruthann Friedman, a local folk singer, who’d written a song about her lover, Windy, and his hippie lifestyle in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district. The version Ruth played for the Association one night at the group’s communal home was in 3/4 waltz time.
The band knew a hit when they heard one. With a change of gender and rhythm, and shared lead vocals, they recorded into the early morning hours until the voices of Russ Giguere and Larry Ramos, Jr. were shot. To help them out everyone else in the studio, including Ruthann, joined in for Windy‘s big ending.
The Association’s version of Ruthann’s song garnered them a Grammy nomination for Best Group Vocal Performance.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Bones Howe
Lyrics Written by:
- Ruthann Friedman
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).