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(TV) Intro to TV/Milo Miles/Dancin' fools/Naked/Interview to be Posted



I first heard Television on Oedipus'(?) Boston late night radio show ("See No Evil") in February 1977 and rushed out and bought MM.  I have to admit that initially I only really listened to the title song and "See No Evil"--both of which I played over and over. But that soon changed dramatically. I had earlier read about Television/Verlaine in a 1974-75 issue of Fusion Magazine.

Correct me if I'm mistaken but I think the 2nd Television and 2nd Talking Heads records came out close together. I remember the Harvard Cooperative ----where I bought all my records because of their liberal return policy on defects ---had a large display of current rock albums' covers, and I recall the red Talking Heads' 2nd album , being placed right next to the red cover of "Adventure".  I bought Adventure (not because of its red cover), but accidentially missed the band's only 1978 live appearance in Boston in late May 1978. 

But it wasn't until 1979 when I read a brilliant review of Tom's first solo record by Mio Miles of The Boston Phoenix that inspired me to buy it, that I became---how should I put it---totally obsessed(?) with Television and Verlaine's music. The last line of the review said something along the lines of how  "...Verlaine's guitar playing on this record would make those 'walls in that room') spring to life." When shortly thereafter I listened to this record, to paraphrase Keith, My life was irrevocably changed. 

In the early 1980s my three roommates and I would, 3 or 4 times a year, throw these great dance parties at our house in Brighton with sometimes 50-60 people dancing.  I was lucky in that I always got to be in charge of the invitations and the  music. More often than not I would put a verse and a chorus to "Kingdom Come" or "Breakin'In My Heart" on the  invitation itself (with a notation: 'Lyrics by Tom Verlaine').  Then we would create dance tapes on my TEAC 'reel to reel' with Television and Verlaine songs prominently featured (but never first--you had to (at least in Boston) get a critical mass of people drinking and dancing to Roxy Music, Bowie, Al Green, or selected Velvet Underground ("I Can't Stand It" , "We're Gonna Have a Real Good Time Together" (live version)---and then 'sneak-in' "Glory", "See No Evil", "Kingdom Come", "Breakin'in My Heart" , and "Always", and "Mr. Blur".  People would sometimes 'towel off' exhausted and exclaim, 'who was that?' One guy offered me $!
200 if I would play "Breakin' in My Heart", again immeadiately [no!]. We would even have the song "Marquee Moon" and sad stuff from Richard Llyod's 2nd solo record playing for the early (non dancing) arrivals.  

That's enough ---I'm beginning to feel a little naked.
 
My e-mail system has been on the fritz for the last several days , so I will try to post to MM List the 1995 Verlaine and Hell short 'interviews' from Robert Palmer's 12-part documentary on Rock and Roll early next week.

	Leo
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