Missed Opportunity

Music

Thinking back on my 1985 U.S. trip with Longtime Buddy Trevor, I remember that we arrived in Newport RI at the end of May, when New England — especially resort towns like Newport — must quite possibly be the best place in the world to be at that time of year.

Sitting on the dock at Christie’s*, drinking beer and spooning down their wonderful clam chowder…

…it just doesn’t get much better than that — until it does.

Driving around sunny Newport one day in a little Fiat 124 Sport borrowed from Maryann:

(that’s not us, just two other lucky guys)

…we were listening to our favorite radio station (WHJY-Providence), when DJ Caroline Fox said, “…and here’s one from the Beach Boys for you on this awesome summer day”, and our day went from “lovely” to “fantastic”.

I don’t know if there’s any band whose music best exemplifies “Summertime in U.S.A.” quite like that of the Beach Boys.  You all know what I mean:  Surfin’ USA, Catch A Wave, Surfin’ Safari, and especially Kokomo... everybody knows what I mean.

Had I been the Beach Boys’ manager, I would have had them write and release a new “Summer” song every year (around Memorial Day, traditionally the first day of summer).

I would have pitched it to them as follows:

“Guys, nothing says SUMMER! like a Beach Boys song, and I think that it would be a great idea to signal the end of winter for the whole damn country.  It would lift people’s spirits up, and what the hell, bring in a little annual income for you guys too.  And do it every year, for as long as you guys are still alive.
“What’s that, Brian?  ‘What if we’ve broken up?’  Doesn’t matter.  For a couple days out of the year, you can all put your differences and squabbles aside, get back together at the Capitol studio, and produce one new song.  For the American people.  How difficult could that be?”

That shoulda happened, but it didn’t.  More’s the pity.

*Some fucker bought Christie’s and despite its history and popularity, tore it down and put up a “boutique” hotel in its place. [200,000 angry words redacted]

If I didn’t know better, I’d suspect Mr. Free Market.

9 comments

  1. When I was young , married and the kids were young we visited alot of the East coast “real wealth” days homes. Unlimited money got the robber barons unbelievably beautiful spots on this planet. Nothing like it today.

    1. Actually, there still are. Most of the “Cottages” are now owned by the preservation society but some ae still privately owned. Jay Leno bought one about 8 years ago. A modest place you can you can view as you drive along Ocean Drive.

      https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/07/photos-of-jay-lenos-13-point-5-million-mansion-in-newport-rhode-island.html

      Then there are the houses in the Hamptons of the NYC Billionaires. The ” Ski Lodges ” in Vail and Aspen. and the “Beach houses” in Malibu, “Ranches” in Montana and Wyoming, and I’m sure there are plenty of others.

  2. Spent a lot of time in Newport in the 60’s and early 70’s since my grandfather’s house was a short distance away in Bristol. Attended both the Folk Festival and the Jazz festival as well as the America’s Cup Races. Now it’s been overrun with tourists most weekends. The Boat Show is in 2 weeks and Jay Leno’s Motor Week & Concours shortly thereafter at the beginning of October. Takes an hour to drive across Town ( and it’s not a big town as there is no room to expand. )

    ….. and that small boutique hotel is $ 1,200 a night during the Boat show — and sold out months ago.

  3. Not far from Newport is a really good restaurant called the Rathskeller in Charlestown RI. It’s in the middle of nowhere and was built as a speakeasy during prohibition. Across the street is the Nordic Lodge which is an all you can eat lobster buffet. haven’t been to the Nordic Lodge is decades though. The price is around $100 now and I can’t eat the much lobster, prime rib etc anymore to get my money’s worth.

    The Autumn is a nice time of year to visit Newport. The mansions are interesting to visit.

    JQ

  4. Newport has an Oyster festival in the Spring around May that is worth attending. I hadn’t realized Christie’s had been torn down.

    JQ

  5. I spent quite a bit of time there, first at Navy OIS (Officer Indoctrination School, which is the low rent version of OCS for doctors, nurses, lawyers, clinical engineers, chaplains, etc), then 3 years up the Thames at New London, CT.
    I still get up there from time to time as an old Navy friend has a spectacular home just a block from the Cliff Walk. A few good clam shacks left and they are worth the drive to compare.

  7. Had that exact same Fiat 124 only in bright orange – wonderful chick magnet back when I was single *cough* in the early 80’s

  8. That little fiat spyder was my first car. I think it cost me 1050$ in 1985. And, as the previous poster said, it was definately a chick magnet. 😁

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