| re: A Telecaster or a Stratocaster | |
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Posted by: |
Evan 07:35 am UTC 04/26/21 |
| In reply to: | A Telecaster or a Stratocaster - SandraZ 01:24 am UTC 04/24/21 |
| Thank you for posting this. Also thank you for mentioning how others from Facebook would like to post but can’t remember passwords and such. I hope that they’re able to eventually contribute here as I don’t participate in Facebook. When I first got word of Jim’s death I knew I wanted to post here because it seemed like the right thing to do but like you, I worried I had forgotten my password since it had been so long. Thankfully that wasn’t the case. To touch on what you mentioned, reading the words of what others have been going through has helped a lot. When I first came to this board 20 years ago we were discussing Whistle Down The Wind having a tentative broadway premiere. I never thought the day would come where we’d be discussing Jim’s death. We were all like his lost children. Anyway, thank you again for the memories. > First of all: I cannot believe I remembered my password! I > simply cannot. It took me longer to realize that my > username was not my email, than remembering the password. > > For those not on facebook, just so you know: you are not > forgotten. People have been trying to log in, but they > can't remember their passwords (yet). > > Okay. Now that I got logged in, I'll post here what I > posted on facebook: > > > > So, I don’t have a cool story about meeting or talking to > Jim. I could tell you how I first heard his music and what > impact he had on my life, but I’m afraid that attempt has > stranded. I could tell you about going to see Tanz for the > first time, but then you’d be stuck with me for the next > day or so. So better not, right? I’ll stick to the past > week. > > Come back with me to Monday morning, location: the > Netherlands. When I was still blissfully unaware. > > At work the word ‘stratocaster’ came up. Someone wanted to > know what that was: stratocaster. While my brain > immediately took a trip to a totally different world, my > collegues were wrecking their brains. I decided to help > them: > > ‘A guitar.’ > ‘What? How do you know…?‘ > ‘I once killed a boy with a Fender guitar. I don’t > remember if it was a Telecaster or a Stratocaster, but I > do remember…’ > And then I noticed the blank staring faces. > ‘… o, just google it!’ > Couple of minutes later I hear someone yelling: ‘Oh, look! > It’s a guitar!’ > > I admit I felt like yelling back: I told you so! Instead I > let my mind wonder back to that other world, thinking: I’m > so glad I fell in love with Jim Steinman’s work. It makes > life so much more fun… ‘I do remember that it had a heart > of chrome and a voice like a horny angel.’ > > Then Tuesday was a bad day from the start. I tried to save > it with Todd Rundgren’s ‘Bang the drum all day’, even > Pharell’s ‘Happy’. Didn’t really work. Then everyone > seemed to have gotten out of bed without taking their > brain with them (Yes, I do realize that when I can’t stand > other people, it’s actually me who’s in a bad state. ;)). > So I promised myself that when I got home that evening I’d > play ‘Life is a Lemon’. Very loud. But when I got home, > the news of Jim’s death was just coming through on the > facebook page. Since then it’s taken some time to really > sink in... like Wednesday. Was there a Wednesday? > > It has hit me harder than I thought it would. That is > okay. It tells me that maybe I can’t decide on my favorite > pizza topping or favorite colour (how can anyone have a > favorite colour? It’s been about 40 years and I’m still > puzzeled), but at least I did decide on my favorite > composer. One that I loved for his brilliant music and for > his personality. Even more than I knew. > > And thankfully, there are all these other wonderful > fanatics who share their thoughts, feelings, memories, > news articles, video’s, arts, etc. I’ve been clicking on > emoticons like crazy! I wish I could give everyone a big > hug. Wait, I’ll just do it now: BIG digital hug everyone! > > > Honestly, it made me feel less alone. And yesterday, all > the posts made such a good read while waiting for my iv > with meds to get in, that the hours flew by! It got me > into a better mental state and so I ended the day with > ‘Wonderful Toys’. Why? Because for years now I’ve been > making up scenes for this song in my head. On a stage, in > a film, whatever. One time, after I just saw the US Dance > of the Vampires again, Michael Crawford appeared in the > role of ‘The Joker’ (This actually made a lot of sense. > Though now I can’t watch him play Graf Von Krolock without > thinking he’s in the wrong musical, then realizing he’s > not and then having to watch Steve Barton to set my mind > straight again). > But most of the time I just see Jim behind a piano having > a field day while recording this. He sounds like he’s > almost making it all up at that moment: what else can I do > with this?!? O wait! I’ve got another idea! And in comes > Eminem. I love all the Batman demo’s cause I can hear the > characters in the music and see it working on stage. Still > the Childeren is absolutely beautiful. But Wonderful Toys > makes me laugh and think: You go, Jim! Have fun! > > > > BTW It is so weird to suddenly hear Jim’s voice in your > head going: ‘I don’t remember if it was a Telecaster or a > Stratocaster but I do remember it wasn’t at all easy…’ > when you’re right in the middle of a conversation at work. > > I can only hope nobody mentions Eminem anytime soon. Or > mirrors. Or vampires. Or bats. Or wolves. Or roses. Or… o, > hell! > > | |
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