For some reason, in recent conversations I have had, Lou Gramm keeps coming up. Sometimes it is solo Lou Gramm, sometimes it is Lou Gramm in the context of Foreigner, but either way, Lou Gramm is being mentioned way too much. Twice in one week is excessive to say the least, and, (this should be obvious to you), I am not the one who keeps talking about Lou Gramm.
The second time Lou Gramm came up, I realized that even though I think that Lou Gramm sucks, I could not rest until I heard Midnight Blue, Lou's first big solo hit. (Isn't it really Lou's only solo hit?) And I had to dig through my 45s to see if I own it. It seemed like something I would have, because even though Lou Gramm sucks, Midnight Blue sure is catchy.
So I took a gander through my 45s. It was the greatest gander ever! I love 45s, and I had completely forgotten how much. 45s are the greatest. They are the original Snack Pack. They are a portable, bite-sized portion of an artist. I never did find a Lou Gramm Snack Pack, but I found oh-so-much more! I was thrilled to discover not one, not two, but three Captain and Tennille 45s. Actually, one is a Spanish version, so it is technically a 45 by the Capitan Y Tennille.
I was talking to a friend on the phone during my 45 frenzy, and he caught the fever and started rummaging through his 45s.
Friend: I have Heroes by David Bowie in French.
Me: I don't have that! I want that! Oh.... Wait a minute.... I do have that.
When did I get Heroes in French? Oh, for pete's sake, it has a price tag from a store in Chicago. That means I must have gotten it in 1998. And I don't think I've ever listened to it. I probably will someday, but right now I will just be happy knowing that it's there.
And, what a treat! I have the reissue of the David Bowie/Bing Crosby duet Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth. I believe my friend said that he had the original. I remember being ticked off about some 45 he had that I didn't, it may have been that. I'm not a huge stickler for original vs. reissue, but an original version of Little Drummer Boy/Peace On Earth is a great find.
Speaking of reissues, after my trip through my 45 collection, I freaked right out and decided that I need MORE 45s. So off I went to the record store. I needed a copy of Maggie May. How do I even own a collection of LPs and 45s and not have Maggie May in some form? It's perverse!
So, I found me a copy of Maggie May, and I had to pay $1.50 for it. What?! Maggie May should be a fifty cent 45 if I ever saw one. The problem? It is an original. Had I been able to find a Back To Back Hits issue, it surely would have been fifty cents. But that's okay. Once I listen to it 150 times, it has paid for itself, provided one listen to Maggie May is worth one cent. And considering how often it is played on both classic rock AND oldies stations, I'm pretty sure it's only valued at a penny per listen.
But that is the beauty of the 45. Even if you only think something is worth one penny per listen, a 45 is your best value. Think about the suckers who buy an entire Rod Stewart CD just to hear Maggie May. Before it pays for itself, you have to play Maggie May between 1000 and 1200 times. CDs aren't value! They aren't fun! But 45s sure are. I guess one could make the argument that if you buy a Rod Stewart CD, you get many songs, instead of just the two contained on the 45. This may be true, but who is the chump stuck with a copy of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? Not me, because I buy 45s.