Saturday 9: Rikki, Don't Lose That Number

Saturday 9: Rikki, Don't Lose That Number (1974)

   

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

 

 

1) In this song, a man asks a girl to spend more time with him and suggests they go out for a ride together. Do you ever take a leisurely drive, just for relaxation and pleasure? Or do you always have a destination in mind when you get behind the wheel?

A. Occasionally I take a drive to nowhere, but not often. I did it more when I was a teenager than after I married. I usually have a destination now.

 

2) He repeatedly suggests that she could have a change of heart. What's something you've changed your mind about recently?

A. I used to think there had to be a bottom low. Now I think there is no bottom.

3) This week's featured artists are the duo Steely Dan. They earned the reputation as perfectionists, requiring take after take in the studio until they got their sound just right. Do you consider yourself a perfectionist? Or do you more often find that "good enough is good enough?"

A. I tend to be a perfectionist. Sometimes I finally say, "OK, this is good enough," but more often than not, I am still trying to get it right, whatever that is.

 

4) The Rikki of the title is a writer/poet who met Steely Dan's Donald Fagan when they were both students at Bard College. He had a crush on her and gave her his number, which she refused to call because she was married. She went on to teach in the English Department at the University of Denver, where her students would probably be surprised to learn she was the inspiration for a famous song. Is there something we would be surprised to learn about you?

A. Yes, but I am not going to tell you what it is. There are reasons why you don't know it already.

5) Another woman who played a role in Steely Dan's success is Barbra Streisand. She recorded one of their early songs, "I Mean to Shine," for her 1971 album, Barbra Joan Streisand. It was her thirteenth album and though 13 is often considered unlucky, it reached #11 on the Billboard charts and was certified as a gold record. Do you have a lucky number?

A. I do not have a lucky number, although if I were to choose one, I think I'd choose the number 8, because if you place it on its side, it is the infinity symbol.

 

6) In 1974, when this song was a hit, The Magic 8 Ball was still a top-seller at toy stores. It retailed for just $1.99 and promised that all you had to do was gaze at it, concentrate, and wait to learn your fate ... "if you dare!" If you could get an answer to one question about the future, what would you ask?

A. "Will everything be OK?"

7) Also in 1974, Good Times premiered, and the character JJ (played by Jimmy Walker) became a sensation with the catchphrase "Dy-no-mite!" What's another phrase that is forever connected to a TV character?

A. "Live long and prosper." - Spock from Star Trek.

8) 1974 was the year Barry Manilow became a household name with his first major hit, "Mandy." Do you have a favorite Barry Manilow song?

A. I actually like Barry Manilow. Mandy was one of the first songs I learned on the guitar. But I think I Write the Songs may be my favorite.

9) Random question: Imagine a beautiful little church on a hillside. Quiet, with stained glass and lovely pews. Well-maintained grounds with plenty of parking nearby. Seats 150. Perfect for a wedding ... or a funeral, because it's located in a cemetery. Would you consider getting married at a cemetery?

A. I would. I wanted to be married in the woods wearing blue jeans, but that didn't happen. A cemetery would be just as good.

 

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I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.