Song Stories: Something About You

When Wil and I started the This Wreckage ‘zine over 30 years ago now, the idea is that we would have people submit material that we would throw in each issue as is and put it out to the world.  What we didn’t realize going in is that most people do not want to actually share things like that.  We struggled in finding material to achieve our albeit ambitious goal of a monthly issue. 

However, in a small way, I’d like to float out a similar request we used to do every issue, but with more of a singular focus.  I am hoping that anyone who reads this would be willing to send some kind of story of a certain song that means something to them.  This could mean a short story, an essay, a drawing, a photograph, a poem, a few words, I don’t know.  One of my favorite things is to tie music to pretty much every waking minute of my life.  It’s a problem really.  There are hundreds of songs that evoke a lot of emotions for me for a variety of reasons based on their being nearby at the time.  I absolutely love hearing and reading other people’s stories along these lines.  I don’t care the genre or the artist, or my personal history, if any, with the song, I find these stories endlessly fascinating.

I’m hoping to encourage any and every one who might be willing to send some of their stories to me via messenger, or via email: tangledrec@hotmail.com.  I would like to share them here, on this site, if given the permission.

Please ask any questions you may have.

Heidi Holstein Larson has been kind enough to tell a story.  Here it is:

Here’s one of my favorite songs and it just so happens to be from the 80’s - one of the best decades for music, in my opinion. You may recognize this song from the radio, by Level 42, called, “Something About You.”  It came out in 1985 on World Machine….so I was probably around 15 when I heard it. It was the only top 10 song, this UK band, (formed in 1979) ever had in the States.

My brother Tony really got me into them and I started listening to their other albums…they were probably actually cassette tapes…lol…later I bought some of their CD’s.

I love this band so much. This video is completely 80’s and is so cheesy. In fact, it was just the other night I first watched the video! I went down a rabbit hole and started researching the band and learned a lot about them. Sadly, a couple of their members have passed away. One of the founding members, “Boon” Gould, who was a guitar and saxophone player and songwriter, tragically took his own life a few years ago. He suffered from bipolar disorder and from panic attacks onstage. He would go into deep depression and would self-medicate with alcohol, but finally lost the will to live and hung himself.

Another favorite song of mine is off of the World Machine album from 1985 and is called, “Leaving Me Now.” The lyrics and vocals, sung by lead singer, Mark King (also the bass player), are hauntingly beautiful. The last minute of the song features the piano and it has such a cool vibe to it.

I remember really getting into this band when I started going to PCC from 1988-1990. Staring at the Sun came out in 1988 and I recall times when I would wash and clean my car while blasting these tunes at my parents’ house. It’s funny that I have memories of cleaning the car and doing this. I enjoyed this whole album. It definitely had an 80’s jazz/funk sound to it. “Gresham Blues” was an instrumental piece on this album that I recall was inspired when the band was in Gresham, OR - perhaps for The Mt. Hood Jazz Festival(?) I was trying to google this, but couldn’t verify it online.

They have so many other songs that I enjoy. These guys are true musicians with such talent.

Level 42 "Something About You"