Long before guitar hero, kids got together in their bedrooms, blasted the music and rocked out on their air instruments and sang at the top of their lungs. Marty and I were no exception.
Throughout the course of our lives Marty and I shared many musical moments. Seeing Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd at the old Browns Stadium. Seeing The Who on their “farewell” tour in 1982 and David Bowie on his “Let’s Dance” tour a year later. Listening to Genesis’ The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” and “Tuesday’s Gone” around a Tidioute campfire. Even dancing on the bar at the Public House to Guns ‘n Roses’ “Paradise City” on my 25th birthday (and yes there is a video tape!).
But there is one song that every time I hear it—it stops me dead in my tracks and transforms me into a child—Golden Earring’s “Radar Love.”
The image is so clear like it was just yesterday. And it is in fact, one of my earliest childhood memories and indeed one of the most vivid. Marty’s bedroom circa 1973. So, I was no more was like 4-5 years-old and Marty, a mere 10-11. He had the back bedroom at our home on Allien. There were three twin beds in the room at the time—most likely occupied also by Timmy and Ray. Posters all over the wall and clothes all over the floor.
But these posters were circa 1970s and they were black light posters! And, that Christmas, Marty (or one of the boys) got not only a black light, but a strobe light as well! And, the 45 record (many of you don’t probably remember them) of Golden Earring’s: Radar Love.
Marty and I would go up to his room. Turn out all the lights. Turn on the black light and the strobe light. Turn the volume all the way up on our portable turn-table. Drop the needle. And then we’d take our positions, start jumping on the bed, play our air guitars and sing at the top of our lungs….
I’ve been drivin’ all night my hand’s wet on the wheel
There is a voice in my head that drives my heel
And my baby calls that she needs me here
It’s a half past four and I’m shifting gear…
We got a thing and it’s called Radar Love
We got a wave in the air
Radar Love…Radar Love
We did this over and over and over again until finally “mom” would come upstairs and say…“turn that down and stop jumping on the beds! One of you are going to crack your head open!” (she was right…eventually, one day while we were jumping on the beds, I did crack my head open! And I’ve got the scar to prove it! The one above my right eyebrow that drives my esthetician crazy every time I go in to get my brows done.)
Needless to say. Everyone time I hear “Radar Love” I turn it up as loud as possible and sometimes, I even jump on the bed.
