S.O.D. "You Are the Woman" by Firefall

6/9/2016      A song here that everyone should know.  It is a 1976 soft rock release that peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Easy Listening chart.  Front man and guitarist Rick Roberts explained that the tune and chorus just popped into his head.  Stumped on the verses for quite some time, he realized he was overthinking things and after taking a simpler approach, finished it a little more than a day.  David Muse on flute really helps the song stand out.  

     Firefall member and guitarist Jock Bartley remembers the song being sort of a hallmark card of music; "Every woman between 18 and 24 wanted to be the woman portrayed in the song. The airwaves would be flooded by dedications from boyfriends and spouses."  

     The group formed in 1974 in Boulder, Colorado and are still at it with five current members.  Mark Andes, Jock Bartley and David Muse are still with the group and are original members.  In 2015 they were inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame alongside Stephen Stills, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Poco.  

     The group takes their name from the traditional event called Firefall which took place at Glacier Point at Yosemite National Park from 1872-1968.  Hot embers were dumped off the side of a cliff every night appearing as a waterfall of flame.  The National Park Service ordered it to cease since it was not a natural act and tourists would trample meadows in order to view it.  One year later the Glacier Point Hotel was destroyed by fire.