As a student of literature, I was always struck by the function of the spice cake in Marcel Proust’s Remembrances of Things Past .

The whole thing is framed around Swann, the main character, taking a bite out of a piece of spice cake that reminds him of cake of his youth.

This olfactory experience brings Swann back to his childhood, and that becomes the vehicle for moving forward with the whole story of Swann’s experience.

Well, Peter putting up Freddy Fender totally tripped the musical spice cake in me, reminding me of my favorite Fender tune, Wasted Days and Wasted Nights. Though the version I favor is from Doug Sahm’s wonderful, The Return of Doug Saldana.

Sahm, leader of the super hippie trippy Sir Douglas Quintet, always had his finger on some kind of musical pulse, with his band kicking out some really great songs. She’s About a Mover,  Rain, and Mendocino were all fine radio tunes with a Tejano twist that complemented the psychadelic sounds of the time.

With Doug Saldana, Sahm did move back to the roots music of his youth in a really solid work.

And, well, this version of Fender’s tune is as rocking and soulful as can be.

So, on this Thanksgiving day, grab your spice cake, or turkey, or yams, or whatever and have a taste of some ear candy.