Thanks to The Gal for authoring this meme. Click on the Sat-9 title of song on the next line below to play.

Saturday 9: I Don’t Know How to Love Him
Unfamiliar with this week’s tune? Hear it here.

1) This song is from Jesus Christ, Superstar. Though now a beloved classic, the play was controversial when it first premiered. Can you think of something else that originally made people uncomfortable, but went on to be accepted? Gay marriage comes to mind. Now it’s time to legalize pot and get threesomes more the commonplace. Ok, I tend to go just one too far. Just a thought.

2) Jesus Christ, Superstar was originally developed as a “concept album,” a collection of songs written to sequentially tell the story of The Crucifixion and Resurrection. Do you remember the first album you bought? Did you download it, listen to it on a CD player, your cassette deck, or record player? “Rick is 21”. Rick Nelson starred as a kid on his folks’ sitcom “Ozzie & Harriet”. It was a record. There was no choice. It was the 1950s. I was the last person to buy a CD player. It was when they announced that there’d be no more vinyl. I still prefer the sound of a record, so I was not surprised when vinyl started coming back. But, not for me. It’s all mp3s now.

3) When the album’s songs were performed live in concert at the Pennsylvania Civic Arena, producers decided to stage it as a play and the rest, as they say, is history. Tell us about a really good idea you’ve had recently. Probably giving up alcohol. I did it for health reasons, but I am noticing a bunch of new benefits each day. So here I am. So have they legalized pot here yet?

4) Jesus Christ, Superstar is a truly international phenomenon. During a revival tour that began in 2011, it’s been a hit with audiences in the United States, Canada, Britain, Ireland, Brazil, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia, Croatia, Bolivia, The Netherlands and Portugal. Besides the United States, which of those countries have you visited? Just England, Canada and islands of the Caribbean. St. Martin is my favorite island.

5) Peeps are big sellers every Easter. Would you rather have yellow chicks or pink bunnies? I’m not much for either religion or candy. Perhaps some will decide a question as important as this one, but alas it won’t me.

6) Jelly beans are also popular this time of year. One theory says they were introduced in Boston during the 19th century. What else comes to mind when you think of Boston? My second home. As previously reported I went to school in Back Bay and return from 1995 to 1996 when I got hired at The Rock of Boston WBCN as their Sales Manager.

7) We’ve been talking a lot about sweets this morning. The only holiday that generates more candy sales is Halloween. When do you eat more candy: Easter or Halloween? Oh boy. I’ll sit in the corner over there. Wake me up for the next question…

8) Easter lilies will adorn many churches this Sunday. What’s your favorite flower? I’m still in the corner. Shhhhhhh. I’m sleeping.

9) Easter is considered the season of rebirth. What makes you feel refreshed or rejuvenated? Recently it’s the whole marriage thing. Trust me, when the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve that was the farthest thing from my mind that in 2016 I’d be here. But it’s working. We’ve grown and have changed a bit. I think that we appreciate it all more.

Friday was the start of my vacation. I get four weeks and we can’t them in five of the twelve months. We also lose them, so I take them. I need the recharge and I’ll spend a couple of days with my son Ben in Manhattan. Take care of yourselves and we will see you here on the Tape Radio Blog next time. Same time. Same blog.

-30-

Thanks to The Gal for authoring this meme. Click on the Sat-9 title of song on the next line below to play.

Saturday 9: Kiss From a Rose
Unfamiliar with this week’s tune? Hear it here. 

1) This song is from the movie, Batman Forever. The movie Batman v. Superman will be out later this month. In that matchup, who do you support — The Caped Crusader or The Man of Steel? As a kid I was first a huge Superman fan. I remember being SO excited when they started the TV series with George Reeves. But, I got into all the DC heroes, especially Batman. Here’s a prediction: Since mostly women do these memes, they’ll pick the “Man of Steel”. What woman would not want a guy that hard? (Every now and then I have to remind you that this is after all the WTIT Blog.)

2) “Rose” became a popular name in the 19th century, when parents also began naming their daughters “Iris,” “Violet,” “Daisy” and “Lily.” Do you know anyone who has a flower name? No. I thought Bette Midler was the only Rose.

3) This week’s artist, Seal, has something to fall back on. At his parents’ insistence, before he pursued music he got an associate degree in architecture from a small college in Westminster. What’s the last grade you completed? I graduated from Emerson College in Boston. Boston’s Back Bay was our campus. I loved college. I fought not to go. I was going to be a DJ. You don’t need a BA for that. But my parents were firm about it. I think back on what a brat I was being. Someone is handing you a free college education, does not expect you to work to pay for it and my response was “No, thanks.” Then a teacher who was tutoring me said, “You suck at math. If you go to school and do not pick a specific college for what you want to do, you won’t cut it. Pick a school for what you want to be.” That rocked me. I started looking at colleges where they had communications as a major. I picked out five. Emerson was my first choice. I got turned down by my 2^nd, 3^rd and fourth choices. But a month later Emerson accepted me. And, I graduated college without taking one fucking math course.

4) Seal wrote this song back in the 1980s but didn’t really like it very much. His producer discovered it when they were looking for material to complete Seal’s second album and the result

Not Inga, but you get the idea.

was several Grammys. Tell us about a time when something turned out better than you thought it would. In the 90s I had a friend named Jenna. She and I would meet out at clubs. We never had a romantic part of our relationship. One night we went out to meet her friend. She was a beautiful gal named Inga. I wanted her from the moment that I met her but she showed NO interest. She spent the night dancing with every guy in the place but me. Jenna asked me to drive her home since she was on my way, not her’s. Inga and I spent 90 days together. It was what I call a “shooting star” relationship. You fall in love have an intense relationship that ends relatively quickly.

5) Ex-wife Heidi Klum is not the only model in Seal’s life. He also dated Tyra Banks. Can you name another famous model? Tom Brady’s wife Giselle.

6) Seal is currently involved with yet another model, Australian Erica Packer. Between them they have seven children. How many siblings do you have, and are you the oldest, youngest, or in the middle? I am the oldest of three children born three years apart. My dad had two children from his second marriage. They are younger than my own kids.

7) Seal’s birthday was back on February 19. Let’s think about your birthday. If you could have any type of cake you wanted, what would you request? Boston Cream Pie. I know it says “pie” but we all know it’s not.

8) In 1996, when this song was popular, Lyle and Erik Menendez were found guilty of murdering their parents in a crime and trial that dominated the news in Los Angeles. What are people in your town talking about? I have no idea. I only moved here for my job. I love the town because it’s a beautiful sleepy New England town. It has a ton of malls and retail, but they smartly kept it all in one place. But the natives are a different story. It’s a blue collar town of rich plumbers and they like, and while I know this will come off wrong I do not have a thing in common with them. But my sink never leaks for long.

9) Random question: There’s an old saying, “Like nails on a blackboard.” Sam can’t recall ever hearing nails on a blackboard, but she knows she hates the sound of a dripping faucet. What sound bothers you the most? Clocks. I hate the ticking.

That a wrap for a Saturday in March. The only news from here is that I decided to quit drinking. I was a daily drinker for a long time, but never had a problem. But I have healthy issues that would be a lot better if I stopped. It’s very hard but it’s been five days. I’ve really enjoyed that I sleep better, feel better and a lot of things that I never expected. But it’s hard. Kathy has been incredibly supportive and I don’t care if she drinks. I’ve never been anal. I quit smoking cold turkey twelve years ago. I never asked someone not to smoke. Unless it was in my house. But that’s because it’s gross. Enjoy your weekend. I just read that the blizzard is going miss us. It’s going to hit Boston hard and Maine. So I wish Allison a lot of luck. Enjoy your Saturday, my fellow bloggers & friends. We will return. Same time. Same blog.

Thanks to The Gal for authoring this meme. Click on the Sat-9 title of song on the next line below to play.

Saturday 9: FourFive Seconds (2015)
Unfamiliar with this week’s tune? Hear it here.

1) The very bad day described in this song began promisingly enough. The lyrics tells us, “Woke up an optimist, sun was shining, I’m positive.” How did your day begin? Better than the video of the song. Was Paul even in the same building? Does he think playing guitar for Kayne & Beyoncé would make him more relevant? He’s fucking Paul McCartney. He’s already relevant. All that aside, I loved the song. I’d never heard it till today.

2) This song refers to Monday morning. What’s on your plate for Monday? My days of the are

Back in 2010

the same in the sense that I see the same retailers on the same day each week. But here’s another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul: Which in this case the “surprise” eludes to the fact that my wife and I have decided to get back together. You never know. In January I would had laughed at the notion.

3) The lyrics request, “promise you’ll pay my bail.” Have you ever had to bail anyone out of jail? (Or have you been bailed out?) No and no. I’ve never been convicted of a crime. I have been arrested. In one case I sued the police and won.

4) Rihanna gets top billing in this all-star trio. She says that when she was a little girl, she used to walk around singing “A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin. What’s your favorite song from a Disney movie? I’ve never like musicals. Even as a kid. I love theater and film and you guys know how much I like music. I just don’t like watching action and then a dude comes in and sings about “the fringe on top”. As a kid I loved Hailey Mills. Although Annette “will always be my Blanket Bingo Queen” (Tom Rush, 1988)

5) Rihanna dated outfielder Matt Kemp when he was with the LA Dodgers. Opening Day is less than a month away. Are you a baseball fan? Yes. Yankees. I have probably told the story before. My dad (Baseball is all about fathers and their kids) picked The Cubbies as his favorite team as a kid. It was his first world series that he heard on the radio and the Cubs were playing the Tigers in 1935, as a ten year-old. He picked the Cubs. So when I was 8, the Yankees and Milwaukee Braves were playing the World Series. So my pick worked out better and had no idea about the Yankee’s history, I just did what my dad did. Man he hated the Yanks. But he always took me the The Stadium at least once a year. I miss him so much. If the Cubs match everyone’s predictions, it will be bittersweet. But my brother like most boys, simply followed The Cubs because my dad did. Just like my own sons did.

5) Rihanna dated outfielder Matt Kemp when he was with the LA Dodgers. Opening Day is less than a month away. Are you a baseball fan? Yes. Yankees. I have probably told the story before. My dad (Baseball is all about fathers and their kids) picked The Cubbies as his favorite team as a kid. It was his first world series that he heard on the radio and the Cubs were playing the Tigers in 1935, as a ten year-old. He picked the Cubs. So when I was 8, the Yankees and Braves (Milwaukee) were playing the World Series. So my pick worked out better and had no idea about the Yankee’s history, I just did what my dad did. Man he hated the Yanks. But he always took me the The Stadium at least once a year. I miss him so much. If the Cubs match everyone’s predictions, it will be bittersweet. But my brother like most boys, simply followed The Cubs because my dad did.

6) Kanye West also sings on this week’s song. When he was a little boy, he spent a year in China with his mother. Have you ever lived overseas (as opposed to just visiting on vacation)? My wife did. Does that count?

7) Mr.West is part owner of the Fatburger chain. Do you like grilled onions on your burger? Yes. Yet I hate raw onions on anything, particularly a salad. Yuch!

8) This week’s third artist, Paul McCartney, is a vegetarian. Think about your most recent meal. Did it include chicken, pork, or beef? Eggs or dairy? I had veal for dinner, so yes. About memes (or “surveys” if you’d prefer) I hate yes or no questions. No offense meant by that. It would be stupid for me to hand off Sat-9 and Stealing and then criticize it. I think most people like those type of memes. It makes it impossible for me, however. It’s just because I’m either doing comedy or telling a story. But does anyone care what I do? I guess it’s like beauty being in the eye of the beholder…

9) Paul was born at 2:00 PM on a Thursday. Do you know what day of the week you were born? Do you know the exact time? No.

So I dropped the big news. While Kathy and I were separated for over seven months, yet we never fought or had a harsh word. She came over to decorate my house at Christmas because of my (10 operations!) back. We helped each other with the divorce papers. But when that final court date came, we asked each other if this was what we really wanted. It was not until then that I realized that we never even tried to fix us. She said she was unhappy and wanted out. I asked how much $$$ she wanted to leave right away. She told me and I gave it to her. I was that hurt and angry.

So while I tried to roll back to single life, I knew it sucked for me. I decided in 2009 when faced with a path-of-life choice. My BFF (Harvey Wallbanger) wanted to move in and do what we had done in 1993. That was when I decided to start dating again. After my first girlfriend came and went, I got that email from Kathy. She said she was Gary Hunter’s (my DJ name) biggest fan. She wanted to meet me to discuss a Dialtone (The club’s name) reunion. So a woman who was 17 at my show decides (now) over 40 years ago decides to find out what ever happened to me. Then on the 20th of October in the year of the Common Era 2012 she became my wife. I expected to ride off into the sunset with her. So while we don’t know why we let it become a divorce situation, but we did.

She simply asked, “Would you really want me back?” And while I had told myself that the answer would be “NO!” it wasn’t. First I said nothing. There was this long pregnant pause as I thought about it. It wasn’t as though I had stayed home alone and locked up. I was moving on, alone. I felt that I was getting my groove back. Dating again was a bit weird, but I was not going to just sit back and not have a life. However, there was that question. I had to answer it. She had asked, “Would you really want me back?” And everything and everyone that had been in and out of my life flashed before me as I thought about the question. She has asked, “Would you really want me back?” My voice was shaky as I was about to respond. Would I really want her back? Then it dawned on me, that despite of all I had been put through, the hurt, the sense of betrayal and the “moving on” part. But the answer even surprised me. Because the answer was “Yes.”

She has a YouTube show that has nearly 6,000 subscribers. She asked if she could film the ending with me. So she said, “I have big news. Wait for it, as I walked onto her set. I said, “I’m baaaaccckkk”. She got over 400 comments graduating us. Wow. I was thrilled when I use to get 50! Enjoy your weekend. We may be back tomorrow, unless of course Stealing is a “yes or no’er.” In the middle of me writing this Kathy called. She was not going to move in until the end of March. She asked if she could move in (except for the movers of her furniture) by Sunday. And because of the story that I just shared, the answer was “yes”.