It’s Turntable Tuesday because life is too short not to listen to great music! This week on Turntable Tuesday I am opening a brand 2021 re-pressing of the September 1974 classic album from Robert Palmer called “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley.” Turn that TV off! Record Store Day is coming in less than two weeks! https://recordstoreday.com/NewsItem/9813 BUY SOME VINYL! Crank up your local speaker or get out there and support your favorite live band! What are YOU listening to right now?
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It was the fall of 1978 and I was in Starkville, Mississippi in my second year of college but the first at Mississippi State University. I had transferred given some grand designs on being a recording studio engineer so I was giving the Electrical Engineering studies a whirl while being constantly distracted by great music and so many other fun things like the 3 watt radio station on campus where my newly minted FCC license was hanging on the wall.
I do not recall who was bringing all the cool musical talent to the campus but there were concerts from George Benson to John Prine with opener from local Mississippi great Mac McAnally. I can remember so many of those shows where I was right up front taking photos as best I could with my low-end 35mm film camera. My camera was sans flash on my “hot shoe” which was a stretch in low light using 400 ASA film and pushing the film without a big over-exposure. Flash photography would not have happened at a concert anyway…Of course can you remember that moment when you got the prints back from being “developed?” What will they look like? Will I get a few good ones? I don’t miss those days at all. Just think…Adobe Systems was not even founded until 1982 and Photoshop was barely started in 1988. There was no way to edit anything except playing with chemicals in a darkroom. ‘Nuff said.
It was August 31,1978 and I was headed to Humphrey Coliseum to see Robert Palmer on his “Double Fun Tour.” I don’t have a ticket stub for this show as it was a student thing that was so cheap to get in there were likely no tickets printed. The beauty of these shows was they were not expensive at all after you laid down the tuition to get into school. I was very excited to go see Robert Palmer as I was so familiar with everyone he was hanging out or making music with in this time period. I was listening to his 1974 debut album non-stop. Being the huge Little Feat fan I had already seen Feat with Lowell George on stage in Jackson, Mississippi and that was something to write about. “Sailin’ Shoes” is on this record. Lowell George is on this record. Robert was backed by a band I love called “The Meters.” The band I would call stellar “New Orleans Funk.” Being the kid who knew all things Allman Brothers I was familiar with the band “Sea Level” not to mention Bob Welch and Robert Palmer’s name was listed on the friends list with them all and more. When you go back and look at the bands he had on the same bill with him it was incredible. Robert was hanging with the coolest people from New Orleans to New York and all over…he had my attention. This link will list some of the 1978 tours and bands if you want to explore the list: https://concerts.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_Palmer .
Of course 1978 was a long time ago as I write this but I remember very clearly having a camera around my neck and walking in with my baseball jersey t-shirt with a Rolling Stone cover on the front of it. I remember how great Robert Palmer sounded and just how close I was to the stage. The photo I embedded above these paragraphs was one of the better ones from that show. I can remember what I was thinking as I took this photo at that moment as it is obvious when you look at my photo. “I was so close I could see his dental work!” I shot this photo with a 50mm lens as I did not have a zoom lens on my camera to make it past security. You can see the dolphin pin on his lapel that Robert wore in those days. Check out the video form that era and you will see the same one in the video.
The fall of 1978 was a very busy time on my passionate musical journey. I saw many of the greats of that time on stage in several cities and would go on a road trip at the drop of a hat. One day I need to stretch out and tell my full-circle story of seeing Dave Mason over at Ole Miss and later telling Dave and his wife the story as I held I a photo I took at the show but that is for another day.
Be sure to tune into the companion podcast episode as I tell you all about this fabulous album and artist.
Until next time I’ll see you, down the road.