Tag Archives: Ultimate Guitar

Well Did You Evah

Sunday. Another day out by the river. Francine (Tariq’s girlfriend) was there as well as Tariq. I taught Francine how to play Twist & Shout. We also played I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash. I added an extra middle eight which I thought worked better.

And I made a concession, I learned how to play ‘Feelin’ Alright’ by Joe Cocker. Two chords is easy enough and it is rather soulful. It was a slow starting day and I wasn’t sure whether or not I would go out to play.

I picked a few songs off of Ultimate Guitar and chose them because of the lack of chords and my familiarity with them. Old Brown Shoe and The Ballad of John & Yoko were but two songs I learned.

Julio mentioned he would like to learn some guitar at some point and I offered to show him a few chords. That should be fun. It will be somewhere down the line since he really doesn’t have much time for that sort of thing.

Last night I sort of watched Saturday Night Live. I was actually more interested in recording songs for ring tones on my phone. Of course since I did that, no one called. And I forgot what song I picked.

Maybe the version of Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows from the Beatles Love album. Maybe Human Fly by the Cramps. Maybe the Telephone Call by Kraftwerk. I honestly don’t remember. And though the phone is right in my pocket I can’t be bothered to open it up and check it out.

It could also be You’re Wondering Now by the Specials who I am going to see on the 21st at Terminal Five.

And though I sent out online invites for the party this summer, a few people, friends and family thought the party was this weekend. I do hope no one showed up at Maxwells looking for me and Bill. That would be embarrassing for all concerned.

So I wasn’t all that interested in Saturday Night Live, but I did try to pay attention in parts. After that I started watching High Society, starring Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Music by Cole Porter.

I knew most of the songs from the Red Hot & Blue Cole Porter compilation from 20 years ago. I actually prefer those songs.

I know, sacrilege!

Also prefer George Harrison’s version of True Love to Bing & Grace’s version. I feel Debbie Harry & Iggy Pop’s version of Well Did You Evah to be much more fun than Bing and Sinatra.

And I do prefer The Philadelphia Story to High Society. I would take Katherine Hepburn to Grace Kelly, Cary Grant definitely over Bing Crosby and Jimmy Stewart over Frank Sinatra any day. Before I knew it it was almost 2:30.

I stumbled to bed where I had a dream I was working for a company that was changing management, much like what happened in 1982 when I was working for HBJ. I certainly saw what was going on and got a job that eventually changed my life. But that’s another story for another time.

Hope everyone has a good week. More resumes going out. Hope springs eternal.

From last week. I generally don't wear a suit when playing guitar, unless Mr. Epstein insists

From last week. I generally don't wear a suit when playing guitar, unless Mr. Epstein insists

The Mouse that Roared

It seems like I was busier yesterday than I was today. Yesterday I suppose I was. I did go into the city and even though that was about all that I did, it was a lot more than I did today. Today I went out in the morning, bagels, papers and groceries and that was it.

Too damn cold. It’s been in the 18 degree range all day and quite windy too. That was enough for me. No need to go outside so going outside was something I didn’t do. Bill came home this afternoon after driving to Atlantic City again.

He left last night and I walked him to Church Square Park seeing him off. I then went to the supermarket for some items before coming back home and getting sucked back into watching the Lord of the Rings broadcast. Friday night was The Fellowship of the Rings, last night was the Two Towers and tonight is the Return of the King.

I watched the first part with commercial interruptions on Friday even though I have the deluxe editions for all three on DVD. Last night I switched back and forth between the Two Towers and That’s Entertainment on PBS.

It made for an interesting mix, going from Orcs to Liza Minnelli to Sauron to Van Johnson, from Esther Williams and Peter Lawford to the Battle for Helms Deep. That’s how my evening was.

Well I was just momentarily distracted. For the past half hour or so I’ve been removing and changing the name of a certain character from my past who’s parents have just found out their daughter was a lesbian.

I suppose coming out is good at anytime, but it generally best for all concerned to do it at an earlier age, rather than being outed in your late 30’s. Myself, I was outed when I was 21.

I knew right off the bat when I was 14 that I was gay, but of course in the 1970’s there was no one I could talk to about it, no support systems. Well that’s not entirely true. There was a support system, but it was geared towards adults, not teens since back then it was the equivalent of pedophilia, adult gay men giving advice to gay teens.

I was looking to move out of my parents house and with my being outed it seemed like the perfect excuse to go. I wasn’t asked to go, but I realized that I couldn’t live my life the way I wanted to if I lived under my parents roof, with their rules.

Plus installing a sling would have raised my father’s eyebrows through the roof.

I’m sure it wasn’t easy for my parents and my siblings probably had to do a rethink about what they thought about me, but other than that I was fine. I never felt any shame in being gay.

What’s the point in that? Are you going to live your life for your parents or for yourself? Are you going to live a lie, lie to your family?

I knew I was gay much like people know that they’re straight or bisexual. In fact being bisexual is probably more of a confusing thing.

Who's that lady?

Who's that lady?