YOU'VE got to be of a certain vintage to know this song.. SHE is and remembers dancing to it with HER most beloved Bill.
Oh man, for how that man could dance. There are a couple of HER friends who used to say "Please tell us when he is coming over.. don't just disappear with him to some far, distant land.. please let's have a couple of nights together in London"..
This Tale will tell YOU about HER lovely friend Bill.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania, he went to Princeton and when SHE met him he was lawyer in Washington DC. But back in his college years, articulate, bright, clever, (and very charming) young men were spotted by 'faceless' people.. yes, he also worked for a nameless organisation whom shall remain nameless.
He gained his MBA at Harvard, his law degree from Georgetown University and started to travel the world. And it was upon one of these overseas jaunts that they met in a bar in the South of France, the bar had a piano which Bill was playing.. he couldn't go anywhere and NOT be asked / bribed to play.. it was his own fault for he was an ace pianist and to top it all.. the man had a trained voice, yes, he could sing!
Post script: He was a member of The Glee and The Triangle Clubs whilst at Princeton.
They were introduced and he said HER name... "yes, that's right" SHE responded and with a smile on his face that told HER SHE was in 'BIG TROUBLE', he went straight into one of the songs that made Gracie Fields famous and he sang it.. looking at HER.. Yes folks.. Trouble with a capital T.
Fast forward.. they were great friends for, oh, so many years, SHE stayed with him in his extraordinary home on Q Street in Georgetown, SHE stayed with his mama who still lived in Pittsburgh, he stayed with HER in London and they travelled all over the place on wonderful jaunts.
But HER friends wanted to know when Bill would be back because of his piano playing. And this is how it all started..
One evening, they arrived sightly early, to dine at a favourite restaurant of theirs, the manager said.. "go downstairs, Franco will give you a drink on the house".. so down they went into the bar.. a man was tinkling the ivories in rather a hap-hazard fashion.. they were the only customers with Franco, the piano player smiled and said.. "quiet night, I think I'll go early, night Franco".. Franco went to say something, SHE put a finger to HER mouth and shook HER head.
He left, Bill smiled, gave HER a kiss on the cheek and asked "is this ok?", SHE grinned, he slid onto the piano stool and asked Franco "what's your favourite song?" He replied "Teenage Wedding".. Bill ripped into the keyboard and that old piano leapt into life.. Franco got on the phone, the manager came down, listened and ran off upstairs.
The place was packed and jumpin' within half an hour.. Bill never ate when he was a high and he was having such a marvellous time. For people, who simply could not believe their ears, were asking him to play anything and absolutely everything and everyone was singing.. whether YOU could or not!
SHE ate at the bar, the manager had to put up a sign on the door saying "SORRY.. BAR FULL" and a good thing that they were underground and the restaurant had a 'Full License to consume alcohol on the premises'.. as the party did not break up until well after closing time.
They closed the joint at 4.30am and went with Franco and several new friends to have breakfast in Soho, needless to say.. there was NO BILL FOR BILL!
And yes, to those of YOU who have good memories and are thinking of the Post about 'Begin the Beguine', that was indeed Bill's favourite song.. and it was he that bought HER that LP.
Indeed, his mama did wish 'em well and asked HER many times "please marry Bill" but they never did..
Bill died October 2003.. YOU see as last line of the song says "YOU never can tell".
GeeGee Parrot.
March 27th, 2013.
Oh man, for how that man could dance. There are a couple of HER friends who used to say "Please tell us when he is coming over.. don't just disappear with him to some far, distant land.. please let's have a couple of nights together in London"..
This Tale will tell YOU about HER lovely friend Bill.
Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennslyvania, he went to Princeton and when SHE met him he was lawyer in Washington DC. But back in his college years, articulate, bright, clever, (and very charming) young men were spotted by 'faceless' people.. yes, he also worked for a nameless organisation whom shall remain nameless.
He gained his MBA at Harvard, his law degree from Georgetown University and started to travel the world. And it was upon one of these overseas jaunts that they met in a bar in the South of France, the bar had a piano which Bill was playing.. he couldn't go anywhere and NOT be asked / bribed to play.. it was his own fault for he was an ace pianist and to top it all.. the man had a trained voice, yes, he could sing!
Post script: He was a member of The Glee and The Triangle Clubs whilst at Princeton.
They were introduced and he said HER name... "yes, that's right" SHE responded and with a smile on his face that told HER SHE was in 'BIG TROUBLE', he went straight into one of the songs that made Gracie Fields famous and he sang it.. looking at HER.. Yes folks.. Trouble with a capital T.
Fast forward.. they were great friends for, oh, so many years, SHE stayed with him in his extraordinary home on Q Street in Georgetown, SHE stayed with his mama who still lived in Pittsburgh, he stayed with HER in London and they travelled all over the place on wonderful jaunts.
But HER friends wanted to know when Bill would be back because of his piano playing. And this is how it all started..
One evening, they arrived sightly early, to dine at a favourite restaurant of theirs, the manager said.. "go downstairs, Franco will give you a drink on the house".. so down they went into the bar.. a man was tinkling the ivories in rather a hap-hazard fashion.. they were the only customers with Franco, the piano player smiled and said.. "quiet night, I think I'll go early, night Franco".. Franco went to say something, SHE put a finger to HER mouth and shook HER head.
He left, Bill smiled, gave HER a kiss on the cheek and asked "is this ok?", SHE grinned, he slid onto the piano stool and asked Franco "what's your favourite song?" He replied "Teenage Wedding".. Bill ripped into the keyboard and that old piano leapt into life.. Franco got on the phone, the manager came down, listened and ran off upstairs.
The place was packed and jumpin' within half an hour.. Bill never ate when he was a high and he was having such a marvellous time. For people, who simply could not believe their ears, were asking him to play anything and absolutely everything and everyone was singing.. whether YOU could or not!
SHE ate at the bar, the manager had to put up a sign on the door saying "SORRY.. BAR FULL" and a good thing that they were underground and the restaurant had a 'Full License to consume alcohol on the premises'.. as the party did not break up until well after closing time.
They closed the joint at 4.30am and went with Franco and several new friends to have breakfast in Soho, needless to say.. there was NO BILL FOR BILL!
And yes, to those of YOU who have good memories and are thinking of the Post about 'Begin the Beguine', that was indeed Bill's favourite song.. and it was he that bought HER that LP.
Indeed, his mama did wish 'em well and asked HER many times "please marry Bill" but they never did..
Bill died October 2003.. YOU see as last line of the song says "YOU never can tell".
GeeGee Parrot.
March 27th, 2013.
I have always been fascinated and filled with (healthy!) envy for the very few who can just sit down and play all sorts of things on the piano without notes in front of them. What fun SHE used to have with this fellow Bill! I'll have to google "Teenage Wedding" on YouTube. Amazing how one can find just about ANYTHING on it.
ReplyDeleteAnd SHE has just slid a photo of the very lovely piano player down the web to YOU and whilst YOU are on YouTube.. look for a song called 'SALLY' sung by Gracie Fields and imagine it sung in a man's voice.. then YOU will be able to appreciate whynSHE knew SHE was in BIG Trouble with a Capital T..
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