In the summer of 1972, radios here and throughout the country were jamming to a lightweight tune called It’s So Nice to Be With You.Twenty years later, the man who wrote and performed the song is hard at work rehearsing in a storage lot for a series of oldies concerts next week in Sterling Heights.Jim Gold, a longtime Sterling resident and leader of the group Gallery, finds it hard to believe two decades have passed since he penned the No. 1 hit.The song sold more than 500,000 copies in the Detroit area alone and finally reached its 1 millionth radio airing worldwide in 1988.

"It’s really odd-it seems like the song has a life of its own, its own personality, like I don’t have anything to do with it," Gold said Thursday."I would never have imagined something we came up with 20 years ago is still remembered. It’s fully matured now."These days Gold and the new Gallery perform around the country. The 45-year old Gold also works as a maintenance supervisor for a Clinton Township apartment complex. He and his wife have two grown children.

Three songs he recorded in the 1970s will be included on a compilation being arranged by Rhino Records. The 16-volume CD collection will have So Nice, a remake of Mac Davis’ I Believe in Music which climbed to No. 2 status in 1972, and Big City Miss RuthAnn which hit No. 20 in 1973.

Gallery appears 7:30 PM Monday at Dodge Park located on Utica at Dodge Park in Sterling to kick off the annual "Solid Gold Summerfest."On Tuesday, Danny Vann does his salute to Elvis; Teen Angels are there Wednesday; and Steve King & the Dittlies headline Thursday.

Gallery-Dennis Allport, Jeff Lehman, Larry Banner, Jim Gold, Gary True and Mike Novak appear Monday night at Dodge park in Sterling Heights.

Writer-Mitch Hotts

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