Sailing (With the Christopher Cross Album)

Every time I see a pink flamingo, even a fake one dressed like Angela Lansbury on Murder, She Wrote, I think of Christopher Cross's tremendously successful self-titled album and smash hit song, "Sailing," from 1979. The cover features an illustrated pink flamingo perched on one leg in the middle of a pond, encircled in a green background, and I remember it on the floor of many a living room at the time, usually leaning against the base of the stereo having recently been played.

Why I remember this is because the album was so mellow - adult contemporary before the category even existed - and I would see the most unlikely of characters with the album in their possession. My sister had it, and I could understand that, but my brothers did too and they were much more prone to crank Pink Floyd or Steve Miller at the time.

I used to hang around at the local volunteer firehouse at the time too, and even some of the biggest, toughest guys could be seen with the album or cassette in the firehouse or in their car on the way to a football game. I even saw the flamingo album under the arm of the occasional classmate at my junior high school, which blew me away seeing as how image conscious junior high school students were and have always been.

The album may have appealed to such a broad audience because it featured some of the hottest musicians of the time including Michael McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, Don Henley of the Eagles, guitar legends Larry Carlton and Eric Johnson as well as vocalists Nicolette Larson and J.D. Souther. It also had a rocking tune in "Ride Like The Wind," which made its way into other genres such as NASCAR and the NBA as a theme song for highlight films.

I listened to the album cover to cover many times, as I did with anything my brothers and sisters had in the house, and I always thought it was a rather forgettable album save for the two hit songs. I really liked "Ride Like the Wind" for its steady thumping drum part that I used to play on my own set, and the smoking guitar solo at the end. Speaking of which, with Larry Carlton and Eric Johnson booked for the sessions, why would Christopher Cross play the lead guitar solo in the song? In any event, he nailed it.

I will admit, however, that I always loved the song "Sailing" and its mesmerizing, rudimentary guitar rhythm as the main verse. I was, however, afraid to play it loud enough for anyone else to hear or to be seen with the album because it was so feminine - from Chris's simpy lead vocals to the wistful title track and more than anything else, the album cover with the pink flamingo.

I wasn't even sure flamingos really existed except for yard decorations, and further research has taught me that flamingos do exist in colors other than pink. As for the record company, I'd be willing to bet Warner Bros. had second thoughts about the album cover, which may have even pushed them over the edge to spring for Michael McDonald's and Don Henley's session fees.

As it turns out, I quickly realized that I was the only one afraid to flaunt my affection for the album. "Sailing" was taking everyone else away to where they always heard it would be, but I was afraid to come out from belowdecks.

Copyright 2009