With apologies to the great Nelson Riddle and Linda Ronstadt (who covered the song for her album of the same title way back in the 80s); as I'm writing this at 3am, waiting for my art directors to complete layouts for presentation in the early morning.
I'm typing away as music by Arturo Sandoval plays courtesy of To-lits, one of my AD's who uncannily shares my eclectic taste in music. For a while, to fight the zzz's, talk went from blues to contemporary jazz music, Sandoval to Gloria Estefan to Christina Aguilera, Fellini to Tornatore films. It's been sometime since I've met somebody with a broad range of interest in music and movies. There was a time in the distant past when I would just sit down with friends over pizza or coffee and ramble on about music and films for hours on end. Nothing esoteric really as I hate "cultural" snobs myself. It's just that despite my relatively humble (read: financially bereft) background, I was lucky to have been exposed to the arts, mainly music. and I really, really love music, to sing songs, memorize them, understand them.
As early as my third year of life, I can remember whole songs. The first song I memorized fully was Roberta Flack's Grammy-winning "Killing Me Softly." It mystified me how a song can kill anyone softly, hehehe. I didn't know it then but I serependitiously grew up to a household brimming with a myriad of songs ranging from Nat King Cole to (kundiman king) Ruben Tagalog, the Cascades to the Carpenters. If I yearn to buy an iPod (just a dream for now) is that I want to cull songs from the internet, mainly songs that defined my childhood. Songs that defined eras that I feel will return again. Anyway, it's nearly 4am and I have to go home. Have to be back before lunch or shortly after. All in the course of an ad agency workday...
P.S. WP - I'm not-so-secretly wondering how the new Wilson Phillips album sounds. After like 12 years away from the limelight, my favorite vocal harmony group is back with what is touted as a homage to The Mamas and the Papas. Hmmm, let's see.
