Got This Worth Sharing Email The Other Day

I Am Sorry I Missed You, Don Fremer!

Allow me to clarify the greeting: With a tip of the hat to the Virgil Sollozzo character – “If you consider $5,000 speaker cables…spare wire…te salud, Don Fremer!”

First, let me say, I genuinely enjoy your reviews. You have a splendid way of characterizing the intricacies of the exceedingly complex physical forms and functions of the analog hardware you are blessed (or cursed) to review. Keep up the stellar work.

Now for the “Missed You” tie-out. It took me 40 years to figure out who “that guy” was. In 1980, a dear friend of mine was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was nominated as “the Scrounger” to acquire something on his “kak-list”: “Freddy King Gives You a Bonanza of Instrumentals”.

I began the trek at my favorite LP vendor, Grammy & Granny in Westchester, CA, down the street from LAX. My man gave me about ten tips to pursue and forlornly wished me luck. Sadly, I was not successful. I looped back to G&G to let him know he was right about the Bonanza’s scarcity.

As I was leaving, he stopped me and handed me a bundle of comedy albums I coveted. Most desired was Redd Foxx “You Gotta Wash Your Ass” and a Henny Youngman. He told me he tossed in a couple others that he thought might cheer me up.

Back home, I took the LPs out of the paper bag and put them in my “To be Filed” stack, what you chaps call “In Heavy Rotation”. There in front was a guy sporting what we called a “white-fro”. He was the spitting-image of my friend’s brother, only with slightly looser curls. That night at bowling, I told Jon I found a comedy album with his brother’s likeness. Jon said he would come over that weekend to listen and play darts. Never happened. After bowling, I discovered I had been burglarized. They got my stash, cash, and “To be Filed” stack of LPs. The guy with the “white-fro” was gone, along with Redd and my most treasured LP: The Who Quadrophenia (original UK pressing secured during the petroleum crisis). I still miss that album.

Forty years later, when I learned the evil ways of the internet, I stumbled upon Analog Planet. There, before me, was the album cover and THAT GUY with the “white-fro”. It was YOU. I am sorry that I never got to hear your shtick. I have been reading your reviews for years, never knowing that we crossed paths ever so briefly back in 1980.

May your spindle-holes be concentric and your vinyl flat.

Peace and Warm Regards,

Glenn

COMMENTS
MalachiLui's picture

"i can take a joke" highlights flexi when?

Michael Fremer's picture
assemble tracks!
MalachiLui's picture

declicked 96/24 vinyl rip to make that happen!

Michael Fremer's picture
I'm going to first hunt for the master tape, which may very well be here...
MalachiLui's picture

good idea.

Montpier's picture

e-mail from the thief, who, while s/he liked the UK Quadrophenia, had been looking for years for another release from the comedian with the 'white-fro' (uh, we didn't call it that in NYC). However a recent job netted a DVD from the same guy. So, after years of ignoring vinyl, s/he is happy to report a return to pilfering LP's.

Michael Fremer's picture
lol
hiwattnick's picture

Oh, man! Thanks for the hearty laugh!

tube dog's picture

that Gino Vannelli?

Michael Fremer's picture
Jerry Springer!
Anton D's picture

Mike Brady!

:-D

Spindle Spinner's picture

for streaming-services stories of that quality.

Anton D's picture

Think of all the great digital jokes!

"Dude, MQA is, like, totally awesome. It's, you know, like audio origami and the music is 'unfolded' by the decoder, man. It literally blows my mind, the system sounds so much better."

"Sorry sport, none of that digital folding and unfolding stuff for me...I prefer to place an album cover on my covfefe table and then perform 'rolling and smoking' to enhance to sound of my system."

Glotz's picture

You guys bring a smile to my face all of da time!

And I LOVE Gonzo!

It just dawned on me that Gonzo's hat looks like HST's?!? WTF?

Derp.. his name is Gonzo... figures. Never once crossed my mind in 40 years... too much rolling and smokin! lol..

AnalogJ's picture

Imagine snagging an autographed copy of this LP, personally hand-pressed by Michael Fremer!

Didn't happen, but I did find standard a copy at my local used record shop a number of years back. I consider it to be one of the top comedy albums in my collection, as the letter 'F' divider sits near the beginning of the alphabet. Yup, the white-fro on the cover. Reminds me of the Bernie character on the old show, Room 222, if, like we did back then, watched it on a black and white TV.

Okay, okay, I'll keep my day job.

Nice email to share.

Y'all stay safe.

Anton D's picture

For the sequel, use the same pic, paint a wooly worm mustache on him, and call it “Welcome Back, Fremer!”

As further mayhem, press a John Sebastian song as a hidden track.

Jay's picture

The late great Rodney Dangerfield put it best, “l get no respect”...

Narayan's picture

Thank you for sharing Michael and "io ti saluto" Glenn, God bless you.

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