Wednesday, February 08, 2006




When I was a child in the early 70s, I listened to the radio all the time. FM was hot, and with the exception of maybe 2 album rock stations, the stations I listened to broadcasting from Memphis were
pop/soul/rock/R&B hybrids, and thus set me on a musical journey in which I crave great variety. I remember LedZep & the Who, David Bowie, T-Rex, Sweet, and glam rockers leavened with goodly doses of Isaac Hayes (Don't let Go leaps to mind), Gladys Knight and whatever pop fluff was being churned out at any given moment. This mix of disparate elements seems perfectly natural, and this is what I love about British radio that can no longer be found in the USA in major markets. I'll never forget the feeling of driving up the M25 and hearing an of-the-moment girl group (All Saints, actually) song followed closely by a non-hit track from Big Country's The Crossing, nearly 20 years old. THAT is radio worth listening to. Don't give us the same crap every hour, on the hour. Executives killed radio, but that's another post altogether.

Anyway, enough about the depressing state of broadcast radio and thank the harpies for satellite radio and MP3.

When I was about 8, my mother got me that blue Bobby Sherman album (on vinyl - yes, children, cds came in vinyl when I was a girl) for Christmas. It was a gatefold sleeve, and a la Warhol it had Bobby in blue, in green, in red. I took my groovy new felt-tip red marker and drew a big sloppy kiss on his cheek. I'll find it soon and post a picture - I know you're DYING to see it. Bobby Sherman was the cutest thing ever (forget that milquetoast Donny Osmond), and I knew we were meant to be married. For heaven's sake, I'd seen Night Gallery and The Sixth Sense tv shows - I knew how this stuff worked. Obviously he needed to be frozen until I grew up. In the lazy approach I take to everything, I never confessed this strange thought to anyone until here and now and you, dear reader. Don't you feel special? What's funny is I sorta invented Cryogenics, dint I? I'm sure I'm owed money. Anyway, somewhere Bobby Sherman is a policeman, and I'm a shrewish hausfrau in Texas and ne'er the twain shall meet. I still remember thinking of what a sunny gorgeous place Seattle must be (HA!) - for that is what I pictured when he sang "The bluest eyes you've ever seen in Seattle, and the hills the greenest green in Seattle. Like a beautiful child growing up free and wild..." But I never did get my Bobby Sherman lunch box with matching Thermos™ and magnet. *sigh*

5 comments:

Dick said...

"on vinyl - yes, children, cds came in vinyl when I was a girl"

I laughed out loud.
Bobby Sherman's a cop? Go figure.
Try 100.3 Jack FM
Not a lot of fluff, but good stuff.

Joe said...

weird stuff, my wife just recently confessed her true soulmate was Bobby Sherman, her first love. I guess she settled for me rather than duke it out with you...?

kelly barton art + design said...

i loved bobby sherman when i was a little girl. remember he was in 7 brides for 7 brothers! and yes i remember vinyl albums! those were the days.

phlegmfatale said...

Glad ya liked it, Dick. I thought that might be too corny for the room, but you know how I like to go out on a limb and saw it off behind myself.

Wow, hoosierboy, well, apparently I didn't put up much of a fight, either. I'd say Bobby's loss is your and my husband's gain.

Wow, Kelly - was he really in 7 Brides??? I'll have to go back and look at that again - always loved that movie - with trampy Julie Newmar as Dorcas. I've always thought the leading lady Jane Powell was incredibly beautiful with her sky-blue eyes.

Here on Google I found more Bobby Sherman info, and actually, I think he's still handsome, despite my generally fickle nature:

www.celebritynooz.com/ watn/sherman.html

"A trained EMT since 1988, Bobby now works for the L.A. Police and San Bernardino County Sheriff Departments as a specialist officer, where he is responsible for teaching thousands of cadets first aid and CPR. Bobby has said that medical rescue work and teaching is the best life experience and training that he could ever have."

They also say he had 2 kids with the wife he divorced in 1979 and "he's still single, ladies!"

Looks like you and husband had better behave, hoosierboy! *LOL*

SJ said...

Check out that cheesy smile!

I still call CDs "albums". Showing my age for sure!