I haven’t thought about this boy in years. And years and years. Why would I? It was 1976 when I went out with him. For all of about 5 weeks.
But, he who shall be obeyed, Twindaddy, wants to know for his 8th question which song we associate with our first love. So, I dredged my memory. Actually, not much dredging needed. As stated yesterday, ask me about thirty or forty years ago and I’ll give you chapter and verse. Just don’t ask me if I remembered to buy milk when I was out today.
I had been working in a local café for about two years on an afterschool basis. Sounds a bit like child slavery now, I know. But I desperately wanted a wee part-time job and to earn some money of my own.
At that point I was getting 50 pence a week ( 85 American cents ) pocket money which was fine if you just wanted to buy sweets. But I had reached the age where I wanted to buy make-up and cotton wool. Don’t ask, guys. It’s a female thing. Or maybe it was just a me thing. You need the cotton wool to remove the make-up. No big secret.
By working, I earned 50 pence an hour. Riches! All I had to do was wait tables, do a bit of cooking now and again, wash dishes now and again, wash down tables and walls now and again. Better yet, my sister ended up working with me and we had some great laughs while working. Doesn’t get much better. Earning and having a laugh. Oh, it does. Earning, having a laugh and boys coming in to chat you up. No wonder everyone wanted to work in Freddie’s Café.
Three boys in particular came in on a regular basis. And I could always tell when they were about to enter because I could hear their motorbikes arriving. Well, to be honest, they were mopeds. Or ‘poof chariots’ as my eldest brother so unkindly called them back then. Subtle, he wasn’t. Compared to his 150cc worth of Honda I suppose 50cc was a bit on the nerdy side.
But in they would come, I would take their order and, over a period of time, it became apparent that one in particular had his eye on me. And likewise. Steph, he was called by his friends. And they teased him unmercifully for taking ‘ a beamer’ every time I approached their table.
This went on for ages. Months. A year maybe.
This tall, lanky boy with his long, dark curly hair and black leather jacket could melt me more than a little.
Then he phoned me one day and asked me out. He had started working beside said oldest brother and had wangled our home phone number from him. Brother asked, ‘Was that the disease on the phone?’ Steph’s last name was Greek. ( No wonder I have such a thing about Greece. 🙂 ) To be fair, his name was a bit of a mouthful. But still. Bit mean. That’s brothers for you.
I said yes, of course. And it was a lovely relationship while it lasted. For those few weeks previously mentioned. We didn’t fall out. I bricked it, is all. I couldn’t hack it. I was 15. And I suddenly felt too young. I liked him a lot. But I just was not ready to be going out with anyone I realised. He was two years older than me, he could go to the pub (illegally!) while I still was going to the café and the youth club.
So I made up some feeble excuse about having exams in about six months. And dumped him. Face to face I might add. No texts back then. No Facebook. I wouldn’t have done that anyway. I went to meet him to go to the pictures and then didn’t.
I can’t recollect a single song that has anything to do with him. But I looked up songs from 1976 and here’s what came up.
| 01 | Brotherhood Of Man | Save Your Kisses For Me |
| 02 | Pussycat | Mississippi |
| 03 | Elton John & Kiki Dee | Don’t Go Breaking My Heart |
| 04 | Abba | Fernando |
| 05 | Abba | Dancing Queen |
| 06 | Chicago | If You Leave Me Now |
| 07 | Dr Hook | A Little Bit More |
| 08 | Showaddywaddy | Under The Moon Of Love |
| 09 | Tina Charles | I Love To Love |
| 10 | The Real Thing | You To Me Are Everything |
| 11 | Queen | Bohemian Rhapsody |
| 12 | The Wurzels | Combine Harvester |
| 13 | Abba | Mamma Mia |
| 14 | The Four Seasons | December ’63 |
| 15 | Demis Roussos | The Roussos Phenomenon |
| 16 | Slik | Forever And Ever |
| 17 | JJ Barrie | No Charge |
| 18 | Hank Mizell | Jungle Rock |
| 19 | Candi Staton | Young Hearts Run Free |
| 20 | Rod Stewart | Sailing |
| 21 | Wings | Let ‘Em In |
| 22 | The Real Thing | Can’t Get By Without You |
| 23 | Wings | Silly Love Songs |
| 24 | Demis Roussos | When Forever Has Gone |
| 25 | Leo Sayer | You Make Me Feel Like Dancing |
| 26 | Barry White | You See The Trouble With Me |
| 27 | Billy Ocean | Love Really Hurts Without You |
| 28 | Johnny Mathis | When A Child Is Born |
| 29 | CW McCall | Convoy |
| 30 | Our Kid | You Just Might See Me Cry |
| 31 | Queen | Somebody To Love |
| 32 | Sailor | Glass Of Champagne |
| 33 | The Manhattans | Kiss And Say Goodbye |
| 34 | David Dundas | Jeans On |
| 35 | The Manhattans | Hurt |
| 36 | John Miles | Music |
| 37 | Manuel & The Music Of The Mountains | Rodrigo’s Guitar Concerto De Aranjuez |
| 38 | The Miracles | Love Machine |
| 39 | Tavares | Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel |
| 40 | Dorothy Moore | Misty Blue |
| 41 | Abba | Money Money Money |
| 42 | Rod Stewart | The Killing Of Georgie |
| 43 | Sherbet | Howzat |
| 44 | Tavares | Don’t Take Away The Music |
| 45 | The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver | Arms Of Mary |
| 46 | Tina Charles | Dance Little Lady Dance |
| 47 | Fox | S-S-S-Single Bed |
| 48 | The Chi-Lites | You Don’t Have To Go |
| 49 | Bryan Ferry | Let’s Stick Together |
| 50 | Electric Light Orchestra | Livin’ Thing |
| 51 | Donna Summer | Love To Love You Baby |
| 52 | Yvonne Elliman | Love Me |
| 53 | The Wurzels | I Am A Cider Drinker |
| 54 | Johnny Wakelin | In Zaire |
| 55 | Robin Sarstedt | My Resistance Is Low |
| 56 | Billie Jo Spears | What I’ve Got In Mind |
| 57 | The Bellamy Brothers | Let Your Love Flow |
| 58 | Yvonne Fair | It Should Have Been Me |
| 59 | R & J Stone | We Do lt |
| 60 | Rod Stewart | Tonight’s The Night |
| 61 | Bay City Rollers | I Only Wanna Be With You |
| 62 | Mr Acker Bilk | Aria |
| 63 | Wild Cherry | Play That Funky Music |
| 64 | The Rolling Stones | Fool To Cry |
| 65 | Dr Hook | If Not You |
| 66 | Andrea True Connection | More More More |
| 67 | Silver Convention | Get Up And Boogie |
| 68 | 10cc | I’m Mandy Fly Me |
| 69 | The Bee Gees | You Should Be Dancing |
| 70 | Elvis Presley | Girl Of My Best Friend |
| 71 | Gallagher & Lyle | Heart On My Sleeve |
| 72 | The Glitter Band | People Like You People Like Me |
| 73 | Diana Ross | Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To) |
| 74 | The Four Seasons | Silver Star |
| 75 | Rick Dees & His Cast Of Idiots | Disco Duck |
| 76 | Gallagher & Lyle | I Wanna Stay With You |
| 77 | Manfred Mann’s Earth Band | Blinded By The Light |
| 78 | Mike Oldfield | In Dulce Jubilo / On Horseback |
| 79 | Jimmy James & The Vagabonds | Now Is The Time |
| 80 | The Shangri-Las | Leader Of The Pack |
| 81 | Georghe Zamfir | (Light Of Experience) Doina De Jale |
| 82 | The Stylistics | 16 Bars |
| 83 | Marmalade | Falling Apart At The Seams |
| 84 | Billy Howard | King Of The Cops |
| 85 | Bay City Rollers | Love Me Like I Love You |
| 86 | Simon May | The Summer Of My Life |
| 87 | 5000 Volts | Dr Kiss Kiss |
| 88 | Guys ‘N’ Dolls | You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me |
| 89 | Bonnie Tyler | Lost In France |
| 90 | Peter Frampton | Show Me The Way |
| 91 | Dolly Parton | Jolene |
| 92 | Diana Ross | Love Hangover |
| 93 | The Walker Brothers | No Regrets |
| 94 | Sailor | Girls Girls Girls |
| 95 | Bryan Ferry | Extended Play |
| 96 | Pluto Shervington | DAT |
| 97 | Queen | You’re My Best Friend |
| 98 | Thin Lizzy | The Boys Are Back In Town |
| 99 | Paul Nicholas | Dancing With The Captain |
| 100 | Lou Rawls | You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine |
But, for today, because Phil Lynott is wearing a black leather jacket, has dark curly hair and makes reference to the boys being in town. And because I still really like this one. Here’s my choice.Now I could pick any number from above that I either danced to at the local discos and the youth club or sang along with while watching Top Of The Pops on a Thursday night. And I love quite a few of them, partly from nostalgia but also because they were excellent pieces of music that have stood the test of time.
And, no. I never once had a hair do like that! Nor danced like that for that matter. 🙂
