WINDS OF CHANGE
Say Goodbye to ’68
Through all the trials you had to wait
To remember to love and not surrender to hate
This is your time to celebrate
Break the noose from the weeping tre
Shake it loose
Don’t weep for me
They’re singing our song
I hear it echoing from the mountaintop
“Let freedom ring”
A new day has begun
A new day has begun
Winds of change are coming on strong
Feels so strange to have waited so long
They’re bringing some rain but I feel the sun
Is gonna shine before the day is done
A new day has begun
A new day has begun
(copyright Ted Quinn 2009)

 A gift of love from RockArt of JoshuaTree

guitars: robbi robb, tony mason, ted quinn
keyboards; amritakripa, jeremy gilien
harp: patti hood
bass: tony mason
drums: richard stuverud
vocals; all
recorded and mixed by robbi & tony
















It wasn’t even my intention to write a song about Barack Obama, or his inspiring run for President, or the sweetness of his victory. I came home on election night thinking the victory belonged to everyone I know who didn’t give up after the assassinations of ’63 and ’68. It was shared by everyone who believed in the ideals set forth by Dr. King, and in the words of John Lennon’s song, Imagine, through all the dark days of the past forty plus years when it seemed that the forces of war and division had won the battle for our nation’s soul.

The song came out in a few minutes and I didn’t work on it any more. I thought I might at the time, but it didn’t happen. No revisions, no additional verses written later, just a simple song to celebrate the moment.

Tony Mason and I started recording it at his home in Joshua Tree.
Our longtime mate Jeremy Gilien, visiting from Miracle Mile L.A. - added some keyboards to my skeleton guitar and vocal. Tony played some bass guitar.

Next, the song crossed town to the home of Robbi Robb – a son of Africa – and his partner, Amritakripa – a Newcastle “Jeordie” known for Kirtan singing, devotional Hindu chants. Robbi added his guitar and Kripa her keyboards. Then, Patti Hood laid down her angelic classical harp. Bobby Furgo contributed some violin and, finally,  Richard Stuverud - all the way from Philadelphia) put on some drums. Later, we all sang the lyrics in unison, and added a few words from Barack Obama himself, taken from a stop on his historic train ride to Washington DC.

On Sunday, the 18th of January, Robbi and Tony perfected the mix and handed the finished piece to me, which we share with you today, with all the love that we put in to this recording. It’s not a song that will change the world, but one that marks this time, when it looks like the transformation we’ve dreamed of may actually be starting to come true.

It feels like the culmination of all of our dreams, all of our music, for all these years. As Tony pointed out, you can hear Fred Drake in there, singing, or playing a tremelo guitar; and Elia...I hear Wooden Nickel and even my old band Telekin; I hear a Dream Army. Children singing; Sage, Bella, Malia, Sasha; Your children, too! Whether you’re in the mix or not, it’s my feeling that your voice is in there.

Ted Quinn
Joshua Tree, CA
1/ 19/09

PS I’m honored that on this Martin Luther King Day of National Service, I got to accept the designation as Music Director for the Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council.  I’m not exactly sure what all that entails, but I would like to re-dedicate myself to the informal ‘role’ I’ve had over the past ten years or so, of presenting music, organizing events and encouraging musicians of all kinds, especially the marginalized, and of all ages, to let those voices be heard. Thank you for the opportunity, MBCAC!