Saturday 9

 Saturday 9: I Won't Be the One to Let Go (2002)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Barbra Streisand begins by singing about dreams and wishes. What are you wishing for this morning? I want to feel better. I've felt crappy all week. I blame LA. When I was in Hollywood for the TCM Film Festival, my Cubs just so happened to be playing the Dodgers. Two of the Cubs broadcasters, Pat Hughes (radio) and Taylor McGregor (TV) came home sick, as well. Coincidence?

2) Barry Manilow sings that "anytime you need me, you'll know where I am." If a friend needs you, what's the best way to reach you (text, phone call, email, knock on the front door ...)? Call my landline. If you are my friend or relative, you have the number. It's been the same for decades. If I'm not home, leave a voicemail. I'm not tethered to my cell. It's either in my purse or charging on the kitchen counter. I won't hear it ring and I won't see your text until the next time I pick it up or go out. 

My nephew knows this, but still is a text-only guy. He not only won't call my landline, he won't call my cell. He will not talk on the phone. Nor will he Zoom. I assume he has to use Zoom for his job but he won't for his personal life. He's 22 and just "never got into the habit" of talking on the phone. We each think the other is strange.

 

3) Both of this week's artists are from Brooklyn. In addition to Barry and Barbra, Brooklyn is home to Coney Island, where America's first roller coaster debuted in 1884. Do you enjoy amusement park rides? If yes, do you have a favorite? I used to. I haven't been on one in years. None of my friends will go with me! I used to love the Tilt a Whirl.

4) Barbra and her husband, actor James Brolin, have lived in the same Malibu home for more than 25 years. How long have you been in your current residence? Do you think you'll be moving anytime soon? I've been here 21 years. I'm not leaving. You can't make me.

5) Barry Manilow once lived in luxurious Bel Air. His neighbors were former President and Mrs. Reagan. At first he thought it would be great to have the Reagans nearby but quickly changed his mind because he disliked the Secret Service helicopters flying overhead. Tell us about one of your neighbors. (No pressure; we don't expect to hear about historic figures.) My across-the-hall neighbor is a woman of about 30 who always wears a white blouse to work (she's a bank teller) and she has tremendous false eyelashes. I worry about her. She lived with a very amusing stoner for about a year. During covid, I distinctly recall encountering him in the hall and watching him miss his nose/mouth with his mask so he looked like the Lone Ranger. Anyway, they got married and in no time all, he moved out. She's trying to afford the condo without him, but it's hard. He won't let her sell it until their divorce settlement is worked out. She may have to rent it out and move in with her parents until their divorce is final and she can sell. I know all this because I'm on the condo board and have to approve the rental. ANYWAY, she seems stressed and sheepish every time I see her. I hope she gets through this rough patch and comes out happier on the other side.

 

6) As a teenager, Barbra worked as a switchboard operator. Her job consisted of connecting calls by inserting phone plugs into the appropriate jacks. As telephoning became automated, these jobs were phased out and by 1983, the switchboard operator was obsolete. Can you think of another occupation that used to be common but doesn't exist anymore? I thought it would be cool to be an elevator operator, like Miss Kubelik in The Apartment. You got to work in a big office building and wear a spiffy uniform.

 

7) Loyal Fanilows can subscribe to ManilowTV. For $9.95/month, fans can watch exclusive content, like interviews and concert performances. Do you more often watch live broadcast TV or streamed content? I'm still more broadcast than stream. I watch a lot of news and baseball.

8) In 2002, the year this recording was released, the Sears Wish Book offered seven different collectible Barbies. According to Mattel, the doll's manufacturer, there are more than 100,000 Barbie collectors all over the world. Do you collect anything? Books and magazines. I'm overrun with books and magazines.

9) Random question: Are you exclusively an online/ATM bank customer, or do you often go into the branch and interact with a teller? I never actually spoke to anyone at the bank, but now I go to the window to turn in the quarters from the laundry room. (One of the few benefits of being on the condo board is that I no longer have to hoard quarters.)