The story of my jukebox…

I cannot believe that Daryl Hall is 61 years old; I just found this out when I uploaded his amazing solo album from 1993 ‘Soul Alone’. I found a big box of cd’s in my wardrobe from when I used to own a bar in my almost past life. You should hear ‘Philly Mood’ its astounding.

The best thing about owning that bar from 1980 till 1994 was that I was in charge of the jukebox and I got to choose what went in and what came out. It seems fair that I had to spend the best years of my life in that fucking old pub, that I chose the theme tune to my own life.

I loved Hall and Oates from their early stuff right through till today. I am still shocked that Daryl is 61 years old and I still fancy him!

How odd is that?

Thinking about the old pub in the Calton near Glasgow Green, I recall the first song I heard in it. It was ‘Strawberry Letter #21’ by the Brothers Johnson. The year was 1979 and I was fascinated by the old vinyl playing jukebox. The last song I heard in it was ‘Hotel California’ by the Eagles in 1994.

Years later maybe mid 80s I remember the first cd jukebox’s coming into fashion and the first cd we got was ‘Captain of Heart’ by Double. Back then it could only hold six cd’s at one time and then technology progressed and we ended up with a small box on the wall and a big box downstairs in the cellar that held 500 cd’s in all.

We rented the system but owned all the cd’s and I loved picking all the favourites. Daryl Hall’s Soul alone was one of my favourite’s it never really took off but I loved it.
I also put in people like Todd Rundgren and obscure numbers from the likes of Dean Friedman.

I loved Dean Freidman; his late 1970s quirky music was such a love of mine, though the majority of my rough mad drunk East End Glaswegians hated it! I was a huge fan and didn’t care a fucking hoot what they thought.

Years later at the Edinburgh Fringe 2004, Dean Freidman was doing a show at Edinburgh also and he brought along his young family to see my show.

I was horrified as some of the material included talking about child abuse and murder and I didn’t want to scare my long loved idol’s kids. He shrugged, laughed hugged me and insisted they sat with him.

All the way through the show I was thinking in the back of my head “I can’t do the punchline about making my daughter do porn to pay back for her school fees as Dean Friedman’s kids are watching me” it was awful but he laughed at everything I said and before I closed the show I told the audience that he was there in the room.

I couldn’t believe that this crazy wee curly haired man whom I had adored his music and grown up listening to his songs was sitting watching me do comedy…it was too surreal…he even sang “Do you still love me? Yes I still love you, we can thank our lucky stars” just for me!

How odd is my life? Maybe my jukebox is coming to life and Daryl Hall will turn up this year? Here’s hoping…mmmm…