Sometime around I guess sep 82 or so I was 15, but my girlfriend at the
time was 16, and she drove us when we went out on dates (at the time that
was a new experience too). since she drove I used to get her to call me when
she got home to make sure she made it home okay, and we'd stay on the
phone an hour or so. Well, MTV was new to me at that time, maybe my
eyes had set irises on it for 6 months tops. This particular night she had
called me after a date and I just happened to have it on and the sound
turned down to where I could just barely hear it.
Being in a radio family, I had heard of NR before from Billboard, and
noticed when the name came up in the screen. but the thing that got me
was the video sequence (with the train, you know what I mean) and then
the opening acoustic 12-string type chords which I heard instantly, and
then the solid crunch when the song started to kick. I was raving by the
time Gillis was marching down the aisle grinding the axe during the tune,
which was of course, "Don't Tell Me you Love me". I remember I was
kneeling by right up next to the screen telling her, "my god, Susan, you
wouldn't believe how great this band is!!!" hell it was 2 in the morning,
I couldn't even turn it up that loud. The next month I saw them on American
Bandstand of all places, doing DTMYLM and , for the first time I heard
"Sing Me Away". When I heard Sing me away I was hooked. Here was
a band that mixed keyboards with crunch, and I was pretty much gone.
Susan, BTW, was hooked too. She flipped on the tube while I was talking
to here, and there ya go. Then she bought Midnight Madness AND 7 wishes
before I ever even knew either one was out. Chalk one up for her...
she's still a fan to this day as far as I know.
- Arthur Carawan |