Saturday 9

Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here are today's questions!

Saturday 9: Hotel California (1977)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Don Henley called the hotel's front desk and asked, "Please bring me my wine." He was told they haven't had wine since 1969. When did you last have a glass of wine?
I can't remember.

2) The lyrics refer to wine as a "spirit." That is incorrect. Wines are fermented, not distilled, and have a lower alcohol content than spirits. When "Hotel California" was popular, listeners who were into wine called radio stations to let them know about the mistake. Are you a wine aficionado? Are any of your friends or family knowledgeable about wine?
Not an aficionado, but I do enjoy wine.  I just don't drink it most of the time, preferring water.  Walt has gone to many wine tasting events and we have toured many Napa Valley wineries over the years.

3) In the song, Henley sings about looking for the door that will take him "back to the place I was before." Don says that refers to a loss of innocence and a longing for a simpler time. When you think about "the good old days," where does your mind wander to?
Oh probably the 1950s, when I was in grammar school and didn't have a clue what was happening with the rest of the world.

 

4) With five #1 singles, six #1 albums, and six Grammy awards, it's generally agreed that the Eagles were one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. Which decade produced most of your favorite songs?
I was a big fan of my father's records from the 1930s and 40s.  Never got into rock, but I did enjoy a lot of music written in the 50s.  I loved John Denver's music from the 70s.  I'm very old fashioned.  (I also loved the music my kids' band played in the 80s)

 

5) The Eagles were formed in 1971 when four of them happened to find themselves hired to play back up for Linda Ronstadt. The men found they really hit off and wanted to keep working together when the gig with Linda was up. Tell us about how you met someone important in your life.

I  met Gilbert Russak, the performer and musical director of The Lamplighters, a Gilbert & Sullivan theater group in San Francisco, when I was helping to write the 25 year history of the company (It's now in its 72nd year).  After the book was published, I stuck around as a volunteer and Gilbert and I became great friends.  He changed my life in many ways.  We wrote several fund raising musicals and a newsletter together, we learned computers together and I was devastated when he died in 1986.  

 6) The Eagles are still on the road, filling big arenas for their Long Goodbye tour. One explanation for their enduring popularity is that their music spans genres. They scored hits on the rock, pop and country charts. Other popular categories of music include classical, gospel, jazz, Latin, reggae, New Age, and rap. Which do you listen to most often? Which did you listen to most recently?
I listen to classical or show tunes most often.  Most recently I listened to my son's weekly radio show, where he plays a lot of music by local bands and performers who have performed in Davis.

 

7) In 1976, when "Hotel California" was topping the charts, the trend in home decor was vibrant. Intense copper, bright pink and vivid avocado were among the popular colors for bath towels, mats and shower curtains that year. If we were to peek into your 2024 bathroom(s), what colors would we find?

pretty neutral colors.

 

8) Handbags were big in 1976. Not just in popularity but in size. Purses routinely had compartments on the inside and pockets on the outside. When you leave the house, do you travel light? Or do you prefer to carry a lot with you?
I travel very light.  I used to have a huge purse and carried everything in it.  Now I just need something to carry my wallet, my phone and perhaps some tissues.

9) Random question -- How different is your life today than it was a year ago: (a) a lot; (b) a little); (c) not at all?
Definitely not at all.

______________________________________________________________________________

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Visiting the decorated house of
movie critic Derrick Bang,
Christmas eve

8508