Lake Shore Drive: A Chicago Radio Classic Now Redone with Your Name in It

In 1971, Chicago radio was playing a song by a local band which went on to become a beloved, regional hit. The song was "Lake Shore Drive" by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah. According to chicagoradioandmedia.com, "The song was an ode to Chicago's famous lakeside stretch of road with the same name. An homage to driving along the Windy City's beautiful lakefront on a Friday night. The catchy song...captured the ears and hearts of Chicago radio listeners for years."

"It got a lot of rotation initially and then has stayed on the air since 1971 - throughout the Midwest. It is as popular in St. Louis as it is in Chicago and Milwaukee," the song's writer and singer, Skip Haynes, recently told me.

Some songs come and then fade away forever. Not "Lake Shore Drive" - at least not in the heart of Chicagoans and others who have maintained a special place for this tune over time. And now, through the digital advantages of computers and recording software, Haynes is offering something unique to fans of this song.

Songs That Capture Your Life

There's always been a unique relationship between certain songs, the radio, and listeners. Almost all of us can remember at least a few songs from a special Summer or a time in our lives which imprinted into our brains so deeply, we can never hear those songs again without immediately being brought back to the moments they were first cemented to our experiences.

I asked Skip what it is about "Lake Shore Drive" that is so endearing. "If I knew that," says Haynes, "I'd be able to quit working. I think it's just the right place and the right time for the song. The session was one of those 'magic' sessions, which I, of course, didn't realize at the time. I don't believe anyone who performed on the session did either. It was written by a Chicagoan, performed by Chicagoans, is about Chicagoans and was intended for Chicagoans - and it has two great hooks - Jeremiah's piano and Joe Golan's violin."

Become Part of the Song

Haynes will personalize "Lake Shore Drive" with your name or anyone else's name. He will sing your name several times and mix it right into the original master recording, then send you an MP3 copy.

And how much to immortalize yourself into this Windy City favorite? $30 dollars for the MP3. If you want and MP3 and audio CD it's $35 plus $4.95 shipping and handling. For more information visit the Lake Shore Drive website.

If "Lake Shore Drive" is meaningful to you or someone you know, it's hard to imagine not wanting to take advantage of this offer from Haynes. Even more striking is how powerful a song can reamin decades later because of the repeated exposure on the radio.