Saturday 9
Rikki, Don't Lose that Number
Saturday 9: Rikki, Don't Lose that Number (1974)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this song, a man asks a girl to spend more time with him and suggests they go out for a ride together. Do you ever take a leisurely drive, just for relaxation and pleasure? Or do you always have a destination in mind when you get behind the wheel?
I always have a destination, I drive with a purpose.
Though back in my teen years and college days, I did participate in a couple of “road rallies”. The idea of a “road rally” was to enjoy a scenic drive. The organizers would hand each participant a set of instructions, but the instructions were not clear. More like clues to a riddle that had to be solved. Like “make a right at the blue sign, make a left at the T intersection”. The participants would have to figure out the route based on the clues.
2) He repeatedly suggests that she could have a change of heart. What's something you've changed your mind about recently?
Hmmm… I’ll have to think about that one,
3) This week's featured artists are the duo Steely Dan. They earned the reputation as perfectionists, requiring take after take in the studio until they got their sound just right. Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? Or do you more often find that "good enough is good enough?"
I’m in the “good enough” camp.
4) The Rikki of the title is a writer/poet who met Steely Dan's Donald Fagan when they were both students at Bard College. He had a crush on her and gave her his number, which she refused to call because she was married. She went on to teach in the English Department at the University of Denver, where her students would probably be surprised to learn she was the inspiration for a famous song. Is there something we would be surprised to learn about you?
My life is an open book. No surprises here,
5) Another woman who played a role in Steely Dan's success is Barbra Streisand. She recorded one of their early songs, "I Mean to Shine," for her 1971 album, Barbra Joan Streisand. It was her thirteenth album and though 13 is often considered unlucky, it reached #11 on the Billboard charts and was certified as a gold record. Do you have a lucky number?
5) Another woman who played a role in Steely Dan's success is Barbra Streisand. She recorded one of their early songs, "I Mean to Shine," for her 1971 album, Barbra Joan Streisand. It was her thirteenth album and though 13 is often considered unlucky, it reached #11 on the Billboard charts and was certified as a gold record. Do you have a lucky number?
No.
6) In 1974, when this song was a hit, The Magic 8 Ball was still a top-seller at toy stores. It retailed for just $1.99, and promised that all you had to do was gaze at it, concentrate, and wait to learn your fate ... "if you dare!" If you could get an answer to one question about the future, what would you ask?
Where will my family be in 5 years? 10 years? Etc.
7) Also in 1974, Good Times premiered and the character JJ (played by Jimmy Walker) became a sensation with the catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!" What's another phrase that is forever connected to a TV character?
"God'll get you for that.” — Maude
8) 1974 was the year Barry Manilow became a household name with his first major hit, "Mandy." Do you have a favorite Barry Manilow song?
I am a Fanilow. Saw him at Radio City in 2012 and on Broadway in 2013. If I have to choose just one song …
Oh, ok, I’ll name one …
9) Random question: Imagine a beautiful little church on a hillside. Quiet, with stained glass and lovely pews. Well-maintained grounds with plenty of parking nearby. Seats 150. Perfect for a wedding ... or a funeral, because it's located in a cemetery. Would you consider getting married at a cemetery?
That’s actually not a bad question. There’s a historic cemetery in Brooklyn, Greenwood Cemetery. Very Gothic, with a gorgeous chapel. Buried here are Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Charles Ebbets, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Louis Comfort Tiffany, Fred Ebb, Horace Greeley, Samuel Morse, Alice Roosevelt, and many other baseball legends, politicians, artists, entertainers, inventors, and Civil War generals. It’s also been used to film several movies. And, until recently, it was also known as a wedding venue. For some reason they’ve stopped booking weddings. I love Gothic architecture so I’d be interested in booking …
Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us on next Saturday for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your weekend!
I still have a Magic 8 Ball. Not an original. I got it sometime in the '90s.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a favorite number either, but I dislike evens, so any odds are okay! I don't like even numbers of cookies, or coins, or whatever. Nothing else bugs me, so while that sounds a bit obsessive, I don't think so! Just the one thing!
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