Excuse me, while I prepare to set sail on a gentle sea of nostalgia as we take a gander at a classic gem from the smooth days of the genre – “Moonlight Feels Right” by Starbuck.

Ah, Starbuck. Now there’s a name that rings out across the deck of my memory like the call of a gull on a calm summer’s day. You see, back in ’76 – a year when our flares were as wide as our optimism and our collars as large as our dreams – a band by the name of Starbuck came skipping across the airwaves with a light, breezy number that was as cool as the ocean breeze. That tune, my friends, was “Moonlight Feels Right.”

What’s the deal with this melody that we couldn’t get enough of?

The Late Bo Wagner

Let me share some tidbits from my Yacht Rock knowledge and a little research. It turns out that Bruce Blackman, the man behind the wheel of Starbuck, penned this masterpiece while sunbathing in a Georgia park. Sun-soaked, under a clear sky, he started strumming on his guitar, and that’s how “Moonlight Feels Right” was born. Ah, creativity and vitamin D, what a combo!

Here’s where it gets interesting. You see, “Moonlight Feels Right” is an anomaly, an eccentric cousin at the “Yacht Rock” family reunion. While it has the smooth vibes and soft touch we associate with our beloved genre, it’s got something else, too – a funky marimba solo!

The marimba was played by none other than Bo Wagner, a virtuoso of the instrument who had collaborated with legends like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Wagner wasn’t just hitting the keys; he was making them sing. Those bars of rosewood never knew what hit them!

The song paints a picture….that’s so 70s!

And that’s not all. Despite Starbuck being a one-hit wonder, the lyrics of “Moonlight Feels Right” actually painted quite a vivid picture. It tells the story of a romantic tryst that starts at the drive-in movie (How 70’s can you get, right?) and ends with a stargazing date on the beach. Quite the night out, I’d say!

Blackman’s lines are full of charm, his words as inviting as a warm coastal sunset. Take this beauty for instance: “I’ll show you something that you’ve never seen before, but I’ll be gone.” What a poetic way of describing the transient, ethereal beauty of a moment. Boy, they don’t write lyrics like that anymore!

The magic of Starbuck didn’t last long, sadly. After “Moonlight Feels Right,” they released several other singles, but none could recreate the success of their debut. But oh, what a debut it was!

What I love about “Yacht Rock” is how it’s a time capsule of a more carefree era, a magic carpet that takes us back to a simpler time. And “Moonlight Feels Right” is a perfect example of that, encapsulating the easygoing charm and breezy optimism that define the genre. It’s the song you’d want on your cassette player as you cruise down a coastal highway, top down, hair blowing in the wind, not a worry in sight.

So, hats off to Starbuck, who may have been a fleeting presence in the world of “Yacht Rock,” but left us with a tune that will keep us sailing smoothly into the sunset for years to come. Now, excuse me while I dust off my vinyl, slip on some aviators, and let “Moonlight Feels Right” transport me to that summer of 1976 and it’s still on my playlist today!