There are so many great singer/songwriters from which to choose, but one of the best, and yet underrated, in my estimation at least, is Rupert Holmes.
A lot of people remember his song "Escape," i.e. "The Pina Colada Song," but as good a song as that was, it is far from the best of his accomplishments.
Actually, the first of his songs that I came to know, though I had no idea at the time that it was his song, was "Timothy," by the Buoys.
As the story goes, Rupert Holmes, real name David Goldstein, had helped the band to get a one-single contract from a record label, but the label did not agree to do any promotion at all.
So Holmes got the bright idea that, if they could come up with a song that would be banned, it might become a hit, and then the record label would promote it to make it even more popular.
So he proceeded to write the song "Timothy," loosely based on an article he had read some time earlier about a mine collapse, broadly hinting that the reason for the two mens' survival was cannibalism. As they had hoped, the song became a hit, then the record label execs actually listened to the song, and promptly released a disclaimer, to the effect of, "No, it's not about cannibalism, Timothy was their mule." Uh huh, sure he was.
I was a kid, and I just liked the song.
I did find it hilarious, years later, when I learned that he had named one of his sons Timothy. ;-)
Then, of course, came "Escape." From which no one, in 1979, could escape, as it seemed to be all the radio stations played for a while. Oh sure, some of the other songs on his album also got airplay, notably "Answering Machine" and "Weekend Lover," but "Escape" was his home run, being both catchy and funny, and pretty much impossible to ignore.
In 1982, I visited my dad in Tampa for the first time, as he had retired there two years previously. And one day in his favorite grocery store, I spotted a remainders bin of record albums, and Rupert Holmes' 1980 album "Adventure" was among them. I bought it, and loved it immediately.
I don't recall if I bought 1979's "Partners in Crime" at the same or a later time, but I do know that I purchased them close together, as I was learning the songs from both albums at the same time. Both are excellent albums.
In the intervening years, Holmes has stretched himself and delved into multiple areas, becoming a successful author, producer and playwright, as well as a songwriter and performer.
His first play, which I have always wanted to see performed, was "The Mystery of Edwin Drood," based upon the unfinished novel of that name by Charles Dickens. Because the novel was unfinished, Holmes wrote alternate endings for each of the characters suspected of murder, and allowed the audience to vote for a different murderer during each performance.
This song is Holmes at his best, with insightful and self-effacing lyrics, understated arrangements, a practiced and steady voice, and a humorous story that resembles the vast majority of us, at one time or another.
Which is part of Holmes' special gift, as a songwriter, and is the reason why his songs still sound fresh after forty years, because his recurring themes are as timeless and evergreen as human nature.
Enjoy.
A few of the sources used for this post:
http://www.rupertholmes.com/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Holmes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_(song)
"The People That You Never Get To Love" Lyrics:
You're browsing through a second hand bookstore
And you see her in non-fiction V through Y
She looks up from World War II
And then you catch her, catching, you catching her eye
And you quickly turn away your wishful stare
And take a sudden interest in your shoes
If you only had the courage but you don't
She turns and leaves and you both lose
And you think about
The people that you never get to love
It's not as if you even have the chance
So many worth a second life
But rarely do you get a second glance
Until fate cuts in on your dance
And you'll see her on a train that you've just missed
At a bus stop where your bus will never stop
Or in a passing Buick
When you've been pulled over by a traffic cop
Or you'll share an elevator, just you two
And you'll rise in total silence to the floor
Like the fool you are, you get off
And she leaves your life behind a closing door
And you think about
The people that you never get to love
The poem you intended to begin
The saddest words that anyone has ever said are
'Lord, what might have been'
But no one said you get to win
Still you're never gonna miss what you don't know
And you don't know who you'll meet at half past three
It could be a total stranger
Who looks something just exactly much like me
One of the people that you never get to love
One of the people that you never get to love
The people that you never get to love
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All words are my own, with the exception of the lyrics, which are by Rupert Holmes.
The photo of our dog, Lolo, and our late cat, Miod, I took as they were cooperatively begging at the dinner table, despite our longstanding rule of not feeding them from the table.
You can see how much that deterred them both.
The image and video are the intellectual property of Rupert Holmes, his producers and record companies, and all rights remain with them.
I claim no rights, but offer this video, as I offer all the music videos I post, in the hopes of promoting my favorite music artists, so that more people become familiar with their music, and that they grow their fan base in the process, as they so richly deserve.
Resteeming is welcome, you may link to my post from your own website or blog, and you may use excerpts and/or images as long as you credit me, and link back to this post.
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