When I was 10 or 11, I bought a 2 dollar record player, one of those all-in-one units. Then I inherited my sisters shit speakers from a Sears stereo system she had. Rummage sales. Huge boxes of vinyl for a couple bucks, or sometimes for free from my friend's nice mom. Sure, that meant much of musical choices were limited to scratched long plays of Jesus Christ Superstar and warped versions of Aqualung, but what the hell did I care. - it was great being able to listen to the pop-operatic rush of ELO - Ohhhh, Telephone Line - or even dabble in my first forays of punk with the Cars - not to mention all those night I spent in the dark with headphones on, my mind being blown by the Beatles.
But I have to say, that when I was younger I had a penchant for theatricality. Acting out songs became a foray, beginning when I was 5 or 6 and my father played me live Harry Belafonte records. Then one day I found a bunch of compilations, think they were called "Fun Times with Fun Tunes." Some Time Life thing I guess. But it had three records chocked full of ballads, and the Del Shannon tune Hats off to Larry was one of them. There was a kid named Larry in my class at school, though I never sang the song to him. He was fine-tuned, quarterback man, whereas I was pudgy poor freak to shit on.
The perspective of the song has always attracted me. Something about a guy taking his hat to another guy for dumping his gal; and then this girl becomes leftovers, but Del wants her back. What a guy. The song still has my favorite solo.
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