Robert Palmer died in 2003, just into his early fifties, and well before his time. I shall admit to weeping at the sad news...
You, mes bloggy trumpeters, may know Bob best through his Eighties' successes, such as Bad Case of Loving You, and the irresistably style-conscious, Addicted to Love...
I always dreamed of seeing Bob Palmer in concert. He was horribly stage-shy, and probably quite a nervous chap, in spite of his huge talent...
He started his career, working with a group called Vinegar Joe, with the fabulous and enchanting Elaine Bookbinder... Better known as Elkie Brooks...
Bob grew up in the north of England, terrible self-deprecation being one of our better qualities, doncha know mes dahlinks!
Bob globe-hopped, moving from Scarborough (near to the home of the beautiful Brontes), to New York, via the Bahamas, finally to Lausanne in Switzerland...
Bob embraced many styles and influences, he was never easy to define, but was toujours inexorably stylish - The lounge lizard, par excellence... if Bryan Ferry (also from northern England!) budged up for a bit! Bryan, originally from Jarrow, studied Art at Fhina's Alma Mater a little before she got there, one of her many claims to fame, in fact! They lived in the same Student Halls, would you Adam & Eve it?
Bob flirted with his audiences - World Music, Rock and R & B, Funk and Blues and Soul...
He even joined together in the Nineties with a couple of members of Duran Duran to form the influential Power Station...together with members of Chic, I think... But I may be wrong on that, mes bloggy Delta Blues, so please don't quote me...
La Wiki is out tonight, painting the town rouge, on the stength of her contribution to Fhina jointly winning David McMahon's Post of the Day for Thursday's Let Me Sign posting... I'm just mentioning that to you, just so's you know I can't actually check anything with her.
...You do understand that once she's been 'on the sherbet' you just can't trust her judgement, nor her runic interpretation...
I once went in there, down the stone steps to her fine Temple, fuelled with questions as ever, and came out with two portions of Haddock and some chips and curry sauce, so there's no accounting for her capacity to mislead, much as my fellow Sirens did, as they sang to mariners in times long past...
Bob was a star. He is much missed, and passed well before his time and his energies had exhausted themselves...
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today mes bloggy Bon-Bons, for one never knows when la Wiki is waiting round the corner, peeved about one perception, some mistake or another, and ready to take us all out with a baseball bat...
Just saying!
Live for the day;
Love & Let Die;
Carpe diem...
There's no profit in deceit, and it takes every kind of people to make the world go round...
Keep it within the day, mes chums... as my dahlink cousin always says, and he often keeps Fhina from teetering on the brink, I'll have you know!
There's no regrets, no tears goodbye...
26 comments:
Ah, those were the days: Robert Palmer, Elkie Brooks.. and procrastination - always a joy, no matter what!?! ;-)
Elkie Brooks was known as the wild woman of "Rock & Roll" . Comparisons with "Tina Turner" & "Janis Joblin" were made. Stevie Winwood was not in Vinegar Joe.
Ah, chère FSI,
Quelle nostalgie. Vinegar Joe, je n'y pensais plus.
Thanks for the memory !
Bises tout plein.
gosh you touch so many triggers in my mind with each post...remind me a little of the radio one tenuous link feature.....by the end of a post I feel so tired, but satisfied. Palmer sigh, elaine bookbinder is that true or false, I am very gullible me..
congrats on another POTD award Fhi..
where do you get your inspriation from?
I was lucky enough to see him in concert years ago and he was fabulous. My favourite track of his - Johnny and Mary.
RIP RP
Fhina Dear,
I feel as if I'm either a dinosaur or have lived in a cave all my life (the two are compatible!) cos I rarely know, or have listened to, the folks you highlight!! But I DO know Elkie (like) and Bryan (some). So all is not lost! Remember to duck when you turn the corner.
In his fifties? So unfair. Much too early and I don't think I knew he passed away.
Important information. Yes, today, live large!
p.s. I didn't think Winwood was in Vinegar Joe
Procrastination? Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow, especially if you can get someone else to do it for you tomorrow.
The 37th "Bear's Rule of Natural Wisdom."
Live for the day;
Love & Let Die;
Carpe diem...
Once again I am cocooned in your words!! ALL OF THEM!!!
Special and lovely!!
I love you!!
I was upset when Robert Palmer died. So young! I loved "She Makes My Day"
I remember walking into a record store (yes, rocords)and Robert Palmer was blasting from the store speakers! Fell in love with it on the spot!
Such a loss!
I must have been living under a stone or in a cave as I honestly did not know Robert Palmer was no longer alive.:(
My favorite of his was "Mercy,mercy me(/I want you)", based on the Marvin Gaye original.
ladyfi: I am a procrastinator, I must admit - It's my only weakness - That and music, and chocolate, and wine, and naps! ;) x
Anonymous: I didn't know that was the case, that Elkie was wild? ~Thanks for putting me right on Stevie - Serves me right for having attempted to blog while under the influence!
kapgaf: You are always welcome to my nostaligie coin, cherie! Have a fine Sunday, k! xx
Fat, frumpy and fifty: I eschew Radio 1 totally, don't allow it to be played if I'm in the car... It is true that Elaine Bookbinder transmogrified into Elkie Brooks, just as I became Fhina and you are Saz, my darling... I am always like Gullible's Travels, myself, Saz, I must admit!
My bits and pieces of inspiration come from my patchwork mind, brimming with factoids and tittle-tattle... Music, art, film, video, books, TV - Everything and nothing really - I've something of a butterfly mind, I confess, Saz! xox
French Fancy: Merci mille - I shall not attempt to hurriedly write blogs after wine! My OH did see Bob in concert at The Mayfair in Newcastle, well before we met, unfortunately... My favourite track of Bob's is hard to quantify - I like his early stuff, really, but rocked my son to sleep to those he wrote in the eighties and nineties...x
Derrick: I like to offer up little tasters from my butterfly mind, D, and you are my favourite dinosaur, Sir! x
Woman a Window: I think it was all kept pretty quiet in the media - He was an incredibly private man, was Bob... x
French Fancy: Thank you!
Rob-bear: Love your comment and natural bear-wisdom, Rob-bear! Thank you so! x
Michelle: I am always pleased to offer you a little cocoon filled with soul-sistah love, Michelle! xxx
Gail: I also loved "She Makes My Day," and I used to rock my baby to sleep singing along to it - the rhythms are so lulling, non?! x
shabby girl: Beautiful, shabstress, just enchanting! x
Protege: I just think it all happened so quickly, Z - Bob was on a break with his wife in Paris, and suffered a heart attack. There was little media fuss, as he was such a private person, I think. He is much-missed! xxx
I love Robert Palmer... and despair.com... and YOU!
Bloggus
xo
I love the last photo of him that you share...it shows his ornery twinkle!
I always love him:) He lives on through his amazing work.
Have a lovely weekend!
now i will have robert palmer songs stuck in my head for the rest of the day, and that is ok. he was fab. :)
Did I love that Addicted to Love video???? I did my friend. . . I did!!!
I remember the day he died because my best friend who used to hang out with me in the 80's sent me a message saying what a sad day it was :-( that song was such a part of my High School years...
BTW if you get a chance to stop by- I have some blog bling for you at my site.
I am afraid I have to admit I didn't know he died either. I used to know something about music, before I had kids!
Your blog is so much fun to read!
♥ lori
I am flying from New York to see Elkie Brooks, in concert in the U.K. later this year. Still great in concert.
Some great" Vinegar Joe " stuff on youtube. Elkie and Robert really good together.
blognut: Bless you, Bloggus, and all that is right back at you tenfold, if not one hundred fold, 'kay?! xxx
Bee and Rose: He had such a twinkle for such a shy man, it is true... And his music also says more than we need to know about him - Such a talent, sadly missed... x
drollgirl: And having Robert Palmer songs stuck in one's head for the rest of the day, is not a bad thing, is it, dear drolly! x
lizspin: It was soooo cool, and I wanted to be as gorgeous as one of those girls in the video, did you? x
carma: There are such memories attached to his music, and he was underestimated as a musician and a performer, I always think, and he did shun the limelight a bit - He was fabulous! You mentioned bling, carma, I shall be over there in a jiffy! xox
Lori ann: I know how difficult it is to keep in touch with stuff when the children are young - I am coming into my own with music again now my son is 17, and I have some time to myself again - That time will come for you too, Lori ann - Such a lovely name you have, my dahlink!
Anonymous: That is such a beautiful thing to do, to fly from NY to see Elkie in the UK - I am sure she would be over the moon to know that she still has that lure over her fans - I hope you have a fantastic time, my anony-friend! x
Anonymous: Is that you again, or another A. Nonny Mouse?! I know, it is fantastic - Another blog, another day, methinks - Thank you! x
Oh Miss Fhina, you have given me a bit of 80's education. I did not know that RB died...and I had to show your post to my husband this morning to refresh my music memory. He was handsome in a romantic literature sort of way...a Mr.D'Arcy for sure. Thanks for your inspiring-if wine influenced or not -writing. :-) <3
RP -that is!
Cynthia: I never thought of Bob as a romantic hero - Although his LP covers were all somewhat risque, to be honest... He seems to have been the kind of man there was no scandal about - Happily married, well-adjusted children, as well as a musical genius! x
Post a Comment