The 70's van culture was a thing. Very customized vans with cool paint jobs or custom murals. Basically rolling bedrooms. This song quite nicely captured the essence of the vibe at the time.
He was originally from the town I now live --Gastonia, NC. When he died I saw it in the news and I went to his viewing that very night. It was a surreal experience viewing this man after passing away. Very few people were there and I couldn't help but think how popular this song was and how it was part of the fabric of our life at that time. Some say it is the most represenative song of the 70s---quite a compliment. But yet it kept running through my mind how this song affected millions in such a great way but yet so few were there to say goodbye to him and pay respect. I am glad I went to say farewell to a man I only knew through this one song----but yet a song that enriched my life, and so many others, so very much.
I knew that he was from that area of Gastonia and was somewhere close to that area when he passed. I grew up near Myrtle Beach (and am back home right now) and I remember the DJ's back in the 70's pointing out that he was from "our area". Isf he buried in Gastonia or somewhere in the surrounding area?
@@markstoudenmire4935 My understanding is that he is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Belmont, NC----- which is a small town in the same county (Gaston County). His viewing was also in Belmont.
Chevrolet actually gave him a customized van in 1975 because the song became so popular and obviously helped give the company some free advertising. He originally wrote it while he was trying to buy a van, but didn't have the money. Amber would be interested to know that another musician's Ford Econoline van was going to be the inspiration, but Johns changed the song to Chevy because it "just sounded better."
This 1974 song is one of the most seventies songs I can think of. Y'all might not be aware how popular vans were in the seventies. People would modify them, paint sunsets and seagulls on the outside of them, have convex porthole windows installed, and deck out the inside with shag carpet, fake fur, or crushed velvet from ceiling to floor, maybe even put in a blacklight and fluorescent posters in the back. There was a van conversion brand called Good Time Vans that you'd see all the time. The nineties sitcom set in the seventies called "That Seventies Show" had an episode where the teen stars of the show go to a gathering of vans called Vanstock. That name alone made the whole scene really true to the period, referencing both Woodstock and vans.
When I was 12 years old in 1973 I was in Riches department store in Lebanon New Hampshire. Chevy Van was on the radio a lot....I loved the song. Riches had the Album in thier record dept for $9.99. I saw it and begged my dad and mom to buy it for me. They did!! ❤ I am 61 years old a I still have that album to this day!! Now Chevy van is on my Spotify playlist...but nothing beat that old album..and....I live 4 miles down and old dirt road and I love it
When I was 22 my roommate had a Chevy van and some girl picked him up and had her way with him. They feel asleep on a road next to a Hawaii interstate and a cop woke them up. Everytime he came to see me perform I would start playing that song. Thanks for playing this. It brought back a great memory.
Finally somebody got the year right. I'm sick of these people who consult their butholes for facts and then post them like they knew what they were talking about.
My 70s collection consists of more than 500 songs, but every once in a while I hear one that makes me wonder how in the heck I don't have it. This is one of those. I haven't heard this song for 30 years or more, but I sure do remember it. Thank you for the reaction and new addition to the collection!
That's about 4,000 songs less than in my 70s collection but I'll still hear one like that every now and then too but this is definitely not one. I've listened to this one quite a bit over the years.
Y’all are the best reaction channel on RU-vid! Thank you so much for all the different genres that you listen to and allowing us to go back to some of the best times of our lives and enjoy the music with you!
Vans were huge from the 70s through the early 80s. People would customize their vans with beautiful murals/paint jobs and the interiors were customized too. They often had water beds in the back and fancy upholstery. They held van rallies and shows and had swap meets. My band played at a few van rallies back in the day. You would have been blown away by some of the artwork on these vans!
I still see a purple van with heart shaped windows and crazy amazing graphics on the sides occasionally… it makes me miss the crazy 70’s. It was a great time to grow up
In 1974, we built a 63' Dodge Van into a custom van. Bright yellow paint, wood bumper with 'Harley Davidson Motor Cycles' hand carved on front, bed added, shag carpet throughout -- Pink and purple, moon roof and round side windows. Had fun with that van!
I was 7yo when this song first came out and I completely understood EVERY LAST WORD being sung and I use to sing along with it loud and proud! Great post Great song! I love you guys so much, keep up your awesomeness!
I was a sophomore in high school when this came out and we had all just gotten our drivers licenses. The older brother of one of my best friends had a tricked out Chevy Van with a table that folded into a bed and the obligatory "If this van's a rockin don't come knockin" bumper sticker. That van was notorious. This song was every young man's fantasy when it came out. Were we all hoping the song was going to be about us.
This was Sammy's only hit single sold a million copies this song came out when customized vans was a big deal sadly Sammy John passed away on January 4 2013 at age 76. RIP 🌺
Hey guys, I had a Ford van, with a great pair of speakers and a bed in the back, in 1976. This song reminds me of my old van. When I got married we took this on our honeymoon. We went to the Wisconsin Dells and used it as a camper. We didn't have a lot of money. Good times! We need some Eagles! Thank you 😊 💓
Remember this on the radio as a kid, my dad would turn it up when it came on. Crusing down town Chattanooga in a 1965 Mustang , no seat belts, windows down singing along. Music brings back great memories :) Thanks guys !
I don't know if you guys played this from my email suggestion, but I am glad you did. Just like @bradsullivan2495 said, this song was a one-hit wonder, but it was so popular. In the early to mid 70's, custom vans with murals painted on the side were extremely popular and really decked out. This is one of my favorite songs from my early teen years!
Oh I absolutely love this song! Speaks to such a different time. We had a Ford Econoline that has been customized with a sink, a refrigerator, and a soda bed. ❤
I was 16 when my parents got an extremely decked out Chevy van and I used to love driving that baby around town. Murals, portholes, a bed, carpeting everywhere, a cooler, it had everything a self respecting Chevy van was supposed to have in the early mid 70's. Fun times, indeed!
Can't help but love it being a child growing up in the early 70's late 60's. Took me back to such a pleasant time. Thanks so much for sharing. What a treat. Blessings.
Wow, you guys are really digging up some old minor classics - definitely '70's music -- country-rock I guess we called it - I always liked this story, the idea of the chance encounter between two young strangers, a memory made from sheer adoration
LOVE LOVE LOVE this one! When this song came out, a bunch of us 13-year-olds were in the neighbor's pool - and one of the moms commented on this "disgusting song" - such trash! LOLOLOLOL
Sammy was a really great person. He was from my mother's home town. Gastonia NC. Met him several times. Thanks for playing it. Sadly he passed about 10 years ago.
A friend of mine would sing along to this song whenever it was on the radio, and he'd add his own special lyric after the chorus: 🎵 "We made love in my Chevy van and that's all right with me" 🎵 (Because I got mine!)
Sammy had several of his songs also covered by other artists. Waylon Jennings had success witha song called America. That song was nominated for song of the year in (I think) 1985 or 86)
My sister fell in LOVE with this song and she told my dad she wanted a van. He told her "Nice girls don't drive vans." Big mistake on his part. She dug in and always wanted one on from then on.😂 Great pick.
First heard this 50 years ago (as a teenager) and last heard it like 47 years ago, and yet I remember every word and every note like I just heard it yesterday. The result of this playing on AM radio every 10 minutes. Just don't ask me what I had for lunch yesterday.
I remember when this song came out in 1973 or 1974. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Back in the 70s everyone picked up hitchhikers, it was safer back then. I was in high school and all of us kids played this song over and over again. Check out a couple of other songs by Sammy Johns, they weren't hits but good songs, "Jenny" and "Early morning Love." Sadly he passed away in 2013.
Loved this song my first car was a 1962 Chevy Impala SS but soon also picked up a six-cylinder 1968 Chevy Step van from the post office and converted it into a small motorhome this was all back in the mid-70s while in high school.
The story is a one hit wonder. The great thing is the song is about a great "one hit" and the song itself is a one hit. It may be a night you have in a bar with some strangers singing motown. It may be about a first year in college or your last year in high school. But there are those one perfect short times, days, nights or years that stay with you forever.
Hearing this song as a teenager made me want a van soo bad!…lol Great little song that brings back fond memories. Thanks guys. And don’t forget “Tobacco Road” by the Winter brothers, I know you’ve seen me recommend it A LOT!…;)
One of top five 70's songs for me. And i know hundreds of 70's songs! Growing up in the 70's was so fun and with great music and this song was one of them.😊❤
FINALLY!!!! L looooooove this song so much! Me and my kids when they were little, used to sing this song all the time. I raised them RIGHT! On music from the 70’s and 80’s
Custom vans were big in the 70's and fit the decade well. Always liked this song, fits on the mellow play list. Try the Grass Roots from the 70's (little bit in 60's) - Sooner or Later would be a good first choice.
Haven't heard this since the 70s, and yet somehow, I still remember all the words. Truly, the essence of our generation. Life was so simple then. Too bad we couldn't have stayed so happy living a simple life of peace and love for our fellow man.
I so love song. I actually met Sammy Johns at the music store I worked in a few years back I was playing Chevy Van in the acoustic room and he popped in and listened a bit and was like your playing one wrong chord there but your close and I didn’t know who it was. He offered to teach me and introduced himself and said he was glad to meet a fan. Then we sat there and played Chevy Van together in the room and talked for an hour. It was so fun and he even gave us a signed album to hang up in the store.
Oh I love this song. So many good memories from this one. Oh guys, if you don't know, vans were HUGE back in the 70's. People would customize them inside and out. You had woodgrain paneling and shag carpet inside most of them. It went all the way up the walls sometimes. Custom made bed area in the back that usually had some storage/cooler area, and of course, it had to have them speakers all through out to keep that music flowing.
I absolutely LOVED watching the genuine groove that came across your faces and body language as Sammy Johns' Chevy Van was playing. I got goose bumps as we shared that laid back vibe. I was born in 1965 so I was quite young when he made his mark on Rock & Roll. I truly LOVE all genres of music. But sometimes I hear those old 70's songs in particular with real bands and epic harmonies - and it just makes me close my eyes and sway...just like you guys did. It takes me back to a time that was so perfectly flawed. I will be following you. Bless you both!
Jay & Amber, you’ll love Sinatra’s Rat Pack buddy, Sammy Davis Jr and his versions of "Love Me or Leave Me" and “That Old Black Magic”!!! "Love Me or Leave Me" features him scatting!! Yes, Sammy could do it all, sing, act and dance!!!!
We hitch hiked a lot during the 60s and 70s. Christmas of 67, my first year in the Navy, I hitched rides from Norfolk Va to my parents home in Detroit on the day before Christmas eve to surprise my mother. We were supposed to be deploying that day but our order got changed to deploy after New Years. I left my ship about 7pm or so and got home around dusk the next day. It took me 3 rides from 3 great families.
Truck Ins were a very fun thing. I went to a lot of them. Vans from all over came to them. You camped out at different places. Everyone blasted their stereos. Some had topless contests. It depended on which club it was.
