Saturday 9

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 don't drive. But every time I leave the house I have a destination in mind. Even if I'm just going for a walk. If I want to enjoy the sunshine and sky I'll head off for the post office branch that's farther away or the bigger grocery store, but I never just wander.

 

2) He repeatedly suggests that she could have a change of heart. What's something you've changed your mind about recently? Abigail. She's the manager I work with most often since Jen left the card shop. She's the youngest manager and I'm the oldest employee so I was worried about how we'd get along. She's lovely. Supportive and funny and we have a lot to talk about. Also, I love how amused she is when she hears me refer to her as, "my boss." For those 4-6 hours, that's exactly who she is, and I want her to own it.

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?" Depends on what I'm doing. At my previous job I could be rather demanding of myself and others. I'm less so at the card shop because having a job I could leave behind when I go home was kinda the point of getting it. At home? I've always been "good enough is more than good enough." (Meaning I'm a slob.)

 

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? Yes. And I'm not sharing it 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? 7.

 

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 beloved Anthony Rizzo be playing in 2025?

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? Could Chandler be any funnier?

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 gotta be honest: I cannot stand Barry Manilow. But even I like "Even Now." Heartbreak makes me sappy.

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? Of course. A house of worship is a house of worship. The physical location doesn't matter. Besides, the fact that I was getting married at all would be more shocking than the cemetery thing.