Day 116, self quarantine:
Happy Wednesday, July 8, a/k/a Eric Slick’s new single release day!
Here’s the link! There’s a video, too, but it’s private this morning so I’m guessing Eric wants to release it himself. I’ll come back and edit to add it later.
Happy Wednesday, July 8, a/k/a Eric Slick’s new single release day!
Here’s the link! There’s a video, too, but it’s private this morning so I’m guessing Eric wants to release it himself. I’ll come back and edit to add it later.
Anyway, I know I’m prejudiced but I think this is mahvelous.
I love the lyric, “Maybe I’m not perfect, I’m a simple person...”
The entire record is power pop. What I love about Eric is, he not only plays 87 instruments, he seamlessly hops from genre to genre, not afraid to try new things with each new project.
Speaking of that reminds me of the Beatles. I heard an interview with McCartney where he was talking about how back in the early sixties, they first heard Diana Ross and the Supremes and Paul and John were like, this is awesome, it’s the best thing we ever heard, and then they heard the Supremes’ follow up record and the Beatles were like, Hey ho, the Supremes’ second record sounds just like their first record.
The Beatles were mystified. Why would any musician want to do that?
They wanted every record to be different, to bring something new to the table.
Damn I miss that.
Gah! And now I’m one of those cranky old people yapping Back in My Day 🤮
But you know what I’m talking about.
I love creative people who are always coming up with new ways to express themselves.
Which brings me full circle back to Eric.
Gah! And now I’m one of those cranky old people yapping Back in My Day 🤮
But you know what I’m talking about.
I love creative people who are always coming up with new ways to express themselves.
Which brings me full circle back to Eric.
I’m gonna tell some Eric stories now.
In fact, I’m gonna give you part of the speech I wrote for his wedding last year, kinda, most of which I didn’t get to read due to nerves and overhearing someone at the table next to ours moan, “Enough with the speeches, I’m hungry!”
Hey, I’m a Jewish mother. I can’t let anybody go without food.
So...taps mic...here goes.
The minute Eric could stand in his crib, if we would play music for him before bed time, he would bang out the melody on the slats of the crib. It was crazy. No matter what we put on, the Beatles, the Who with Keith Moon on drums or Cream with Ginger Baker — Eric kept a perfect beat. Gary and I would look at each other incredulously, not believing what we heard.
But in the meantime, we were also worried. Eric was over a year and a half old and didn't speak. He would just look at us with those big green eyes, like he wanted to say something, but couldn't.
And then one night, just as we were really starting to panic, Eric walked over to us, wearing his favorite outfit of nothing but a Pampers, opened his mouth and said, "You've got the tummy ache blues, from eating all the candy you did!"
Gary and I gasped, "What did you just say, Eric?"
He repeated it. And all of a sudden, we realized Eric was actually singing Tummy Ache Blues from his favorite 1939 VHS cartoon.
So Eric's first words were a whole freaking song.
During the next couple of years, Eric's obvious skill at drumming was increasing, so by the time he turned four, he had a real drum kit. And also, by the time he was four, he wanted to be in charge of his own birthday party.
"Okay, Eric," I said. "Sure we’ll get you the chocolate peanut butter birthday cake you want, but what about invitations? You want to go with me to pick them out?"
"Oh, no, Mom, we don't need invitations. I already invited everyone."
This was news to me. But okay...
"You already invited everyone? How many kids did you invite?"
"Just three. My three favorite friends in the world."
Three favorite friends in the world?
"Okay...and who would that be?" I thought he was so adorable - I tried to picture which little boys were coming over. Who were his top three?
"I invited Dennis, Frannie, and Frannie's best friend, Michelle."
Wait a second. Hang on, hang on.
Dennis, Frannie and Michelle?
Dennis was a friend of mine and Gary's - he was also our pot dealer.
Frannie was Eric's very large breasted beautiful 21 year old babysitter.
Michelle was Frannie's equally beautiful large breasted best friend.
Hahaha.
"Is that why Dennis asked me if it was okay to buy you a GunsNRoses CD for your birthday?"
"Of course, Mom. It has a parental warning sticker on it and everything!"
Oh god.
"Yeah, I know. Dennis told me. I said it was okay, but please don’t sing the lyrics at school."
"I would never!"
Holy hell, I just remembered the little brat who slept over for Eric’s 11th birthday and told his mom we had a Playboy Magazine in our bathroom. That bitch actually called and yelled at me. "We don't allow our son to read pornography, Mrs. Slick!"
Mrs. Slick? Who dat? Wasn’t that Gary’s mother’s name?
I loved being a mom but man did I hate the other parents.
And sleepovers. They were the absolute worst.
So that was the opening of my speech for Eric’s wedding.
(Not the last part about Playboy magazine and hating other parents - I just added that now. I was inspired.)
Hahaha you know what? It’s a good thing I didn’t read my whole speech at the wedding. That was just page one of ten.
That dude at the next table would have starved.
Okay, I’ll stop.
That was fun, though.
Congratulations on record release day, Eric!
Oh god, I have to work now?
I have to listen to the radio! WXPN is premiering Eric’s song throughout the day.
Okay, that’s enough out of me.
Rock on!