You Are My Friends was written 45 years ago on a weekday lunch time for a friend who hired me when I needed work.  At the time, the emotional energy that wrapped the creation of this song was very genuine and true.  I will forever be grateful for the friendship that gave birth to You Are My Friends and always think of my friend, who at the time, was the closest thing I’ve ever known as a best friend.

That being said, time and cerebral chemicals introduce unimaginative possibilities, choices and consequences that can, unfortunately alter the core of a relationship to the point questioning the depth and even the existence.  What was a stable relationship was upended and discontinued.  I have no ill-will for choices made during a chaotic and dark period but, I have always missed my friend. And yet…

One of the saddest things in my life is missing the love, support and friendship that has always been present, alive, robust, unconditional and free right under my nose.  It’s also a symptom of Bipolar and I understand that now, but morn the lost time, lost moments, lost joy, lost friendship offered to me when I least deserved it.  The blessings of stability is to see, embrace and be grateful for every opportunity to be an active member of the relationships; for, my family were my friends regardless of whether or not I could see it.  They have always, in all ways been my friends.

In 1980, I recorded the Please Be You LP with You Are My Friend on the collection.  I was never very pleased with the arrangement but was too young to be assertive about my preferences in light of working with a world class producer.  Having said that, one of my long time dreams was to re-record You Are My Friends as I heard it in my head 45 years ago.  With this new collection focusing on family and, “my family are my friends”, I thought this is a good time to give You Are My Friends a rebirth and in doing so re-dedicate it to my family. 

“God’s been good; that’s nothing new. He’s given me you.”